ANKARA, September 15. /TASS/. Russia’s Chief of General Staff Valery Gerasimov and his Turkish counterpart Hulusi Akar have started talks in Ankara, the Haberturk TV channel reported.

An official ceremony was held before the two generals began the talks in Turkey’s General Staff building.

"The key issues of today’s talks are the situation in Syria in the context of the agreement reached by Russia and the US on truce in Syria and extending the ceasefire for another 48 hours," the TV channel reported.

The General Staff chiefs will also discuss the fight against the Islamic State terrorist group. The sides also plan to focus on the Operation Euphrates Shield launched by Turkey in Syria on August 24 and the prospects of joint steps against the IS group.

The agenda also includes "bilateral cooperation in the defense area."

The TV channel said that Gerasimov was expected to visit Turkey on August 22. This is the first visit to Turkey paid by a representative of Russia’s Armed Forces of this high level after the incident with the downed Russian Su-24 jet last November. Since that time and before this July the contacts between the military of the two countries were put on hold.