Ankara is doing its utmost to separate terrorists in Syria’s Aleppo from the country’s citizens, the country’s Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said on Tuesday.

Earlier in the day, Yildirim started his two-day visit to Russia and met with his Russian counterpart Dmitry Medvedev.

“We maintain a very productive dialogue, of course, our desire is the termination of a humanitarian disaster in Aleppo, we wish that these people had access to humanitarian assistance. Both sides are making efforts in this direction… Another vital issue is separation of terrorists from citizens, and Turkey’s work on the issue is ongoing,” Yildirim said following the meeting.

He added that Ankara has been also working on the creation of conditions for the return of refugee Syrians back home.

Over the recent months, Aleppo became a major battleground in Syria, which has been in the state of civil war since 2011. The battles around Aleppo involve government forces, jihadists, and numerous opposition groups. Eastern Aleppo is currently encircled by government troops, and the fighting has affected thousands of civilians still trapped in the city.