March 30, 2017•Update: April 03, 2017
BRUSSELS
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg reacted positively to U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson’s official visit to Turkey on Thursday.
Speaking a NATO Foreign Ministers Summit in Brussels, Stoltenberg welcomed the discussion on fighting against Daesh and cooperation in Syria between two allies of the military alliance.
“I just welcome that two allies the United States and Turkey sat together and discussed how to, in the best possible way, fight against ISIL [Daesh] and to make sure that they work together to fight in the best possible way in northern Syria,” Stoltenberg said.
His statement comes amid Tillerson’s visit to Ankara where he met Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Prime Minister Binali and Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu.
During his meeting with Turkish Tillerson discussed Turkey’s fight against Daesh, the PKK, the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO) and the extradition of FETO leader Fetullah Gulen who resides in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania.
Stoltenberg told reporters that NATO forces had not joined the field operation in northern Syria but supported some NATO member states’ counter-terrorism efforts in the area.
Referring to a recent U.S. raid in Mosul that killed at least 200 Iraqis, Stoltenberg said that he was waiting for the results of some different reports to speak about the incident.
Foreign ministers of 28 member states of the intergovernmental military alliance will come together at its headquarters in Brussels on Friday to discuss defense spending and the fight against terrorism.
Turkish FM Cavusoglu is expected to attend the meeting which will also pave the way for a Brussels gathering of NATO leaders on May 25.
*Reporting by Hasan Esen; Writing by Alam
