putin erdogan
© Umit Bektas / Reuters
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, discussed the US withdrawal from the Iranian nuclear deal on the phone, agreeing that Donald Trump's decision was wrong, a Turkish source said.

The two leaders discussed the US move on the phone on Thursday and "pointed out that it was a mistake," a source in the Turkish president's administration told RIA-Novosti. Erdogan and Putin also shared the opinion that "the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) is a diplomatic success, which must be preserved," it added. The official release on the Kremlin website says the two leaders discussed the American exit from the deal and the deal's importance, but it does not specifically mention any condemnation.

According to the source, the Turkish and Russian leaders also expressed concern over the recent escalation of tensions in Syria, as Israel carried out a massive airstrike against Iranian targets in the country early on Thursday.

Earlier in the day, Erdogan told Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on the phone that he thought that the US decision to withdraw from the nuclear deal was wrong, and stressed that the accord must be maintained.