ANKARA, Nov. 1 (Xinhua) -- Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his U.S. counterpart Donald Trump on Thursday agreed by phone to take "constructive steps" toward strengthening ties, said Turkey's presidential press office.

The two leaders also discussed on Syria issues, including Manbij and Idlib, emphasizing to keep "close contacts" on bilateral and regional issues.

During the phone call, Erdogan condemned last Saturday's synagogue attack in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and conveyed his condolences to the victims' families.

The phone conversation came as Turkish and U.S. troops began joint patrols in northern Syrian city of Manbij under an agreement that aimed to ease tensions between the two NATO allies.

The Manbij deal between Turkey and the U.S. focuses on the withdrawal of the People's Protection Units, Syrian Kurdish militia regarded by Ankara as a terrorist organization, from the city.