Press TV - The Iranian president says efforts have to be concentrated on implementing a sustainable ceasefire in Syria and preventing a humanitarian catastrophe in the country's Eastern Ghouta region.

President Hassan Rouhani made the remarks during a Wednesday phone conversation with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

"We have to prevent a humanitarian catastrophe from taking place in Eastern Ghouta. Tehran and Ankara must shoulder heavy responsibility of saving the people of Syria, especially those in Eastern Ghouta," said Rouhani.

The Iranian president further called on Turkey to use its influence to prevent terrorists from launching mortar attacks on Damascus, while adding that attacking a country's capital is a grave issue for any government.

He added that if such attacks by the terrorists are halted, "it can be asked of other parties to halt their operations too."



Eastern Ghouta, a besieged area on the outskirts of Damascus, which is home to some 400,000 people, has witnessed deadly violence over the past few weeks, with Takfiri terrorists launching mortar attacks on the Syrian capital in the face of an imminent humiliating defeat.

Syria has been gripped by foreign-backed militancy since March 2011. The Syrian government says the Israeli regime and its Western and regional allies are aiding Takfiri terrorist groups that are wreaking havoc in the country.