President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan held a joint press conference with President Gjorge Ivanov of Macedonia at the Presidential Complex.

Noting that he discussed all aspects of the relations and evaluated the potential cooperation opportunities at the productive talks he had with his counterpart, President Erdoğan said that they reiterated their determination on further improving the commercial relations between the two countries in a way that befits their political and cultural relations.

Mentioning that he believes that the current bilateral trade volume can be further increased through joint efforts, President Erdoğan pointed out that they will continue to encourage business people and to give necessary support to the business world in line with this aim.

Allegations that pro-regime militias in Syria entered Afrin

About the reports that pro-regime militias in Syria will enter Afrin and that an intervention was made to the pro-regime militias and whether he discussed this issue with President Rouhani of Iran, President Erdoğan made the following remarks: "It was identified today toward the evening that the Shiite militias there made a movement to Afrin with some 10 pickups, but they were forced to go back after artillery shelling and thus this case is closed for now. Yesterday, in talks with Mr. Putin and Mr. Rouhani we agreed on these issues. Unfortunately, as you know, such terrorist organizations sometimes take wrong steps with the decisions they make on their own. It is impossible for us to allow that, they will pay a high price for that."

ILKHA