ANKARA, Jan. 18 (Xinhua) -- Turkish Chief of General Staff Hulusi Akar and National Intelligence Organization Chief Hakan Fidan departed for Moscow on Thursday to hold talks with Russian officials on Syria situation, the Turkish General Staff said in a statement Thursday.

The Turkish delegation will meet with Russian General Staff chief Valery Gerasimov in Moscow, according to the statement released on official website.

The two sides will discuss regional security issues, the latest developments in Syria, and exchange views on the process of the Syrian settlement in Astana and Geneva, the statement said.

The meeting comes as the U.S.-led coalition against Islamic State plans to set up a 30,000-strong new border security force with the Syrian Democratic Forces, a move that Turkish government has slammed as establishing "terror corridor" in northern Syria and damaging Turkey's national security.