Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is planning a one-day visit to Moscow on July 18 to find ways to end the 16-month violence in Syria that has now, according to watchdogs, left more than 15,000 Syrians dead.

According to Today's Zaman, a Turkish diplomatic official, who spoke to on the condition of anonymity, said that bilateral, regional and international affairs would be discussed during Erdoğan's visit. Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu is expected to accompany Erdoğan.

Experts agree that the crisis in Syria will dominate Erdoğan's agenda and the downed Turkish jet by Syrian forces will be the main topic.