People searching for victims under the rubble of destroyed buildings that was hit by airstrikes in the northern town of Maaret al-Numan, in Idlib province, Syria. (Photo: AP)

ISTANBUL, Feb. 4 (Xinhua) -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday spoke to his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on the phone, a day after a Syrian attack on the Turkish soldiers in Idlib.

Erdogan told Putin that the attack carried out by the Syrian government forces harmed the joint efforts for peace in Syria, the state-run TRT broadcaster said.

The Turkish leader also noted Turkey would continue to use its right of self-defense against similar attacks in the toughest way.

In retaliation for the Syrian attack that killed eight Turks on Monday, Turkey hit 54 targets and neutralized 76 Syrian soldiers in the Idlib region, the last rebel-held stronghold in Syria.