Turkish FM discusses Syria with US counterpart on phone

By Nazli Yuzbasioglu

ANKARA

Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu on Tuesday spoke with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo via telephone, according to Turkish diplomatic sources.

The top diplomats discussed bilateral issues, Syria’s Idlib and Manbij, said the sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on talking to the media.

Pompeo and Cavusoglu "agreed that any Assad regime military offensive in Idlib would be an unacceptable, reckless escalation of the conflict in Syria," said U.S. State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert.

Nauert said that they committed to addressing areas of common concern.

On Tuesday, Russian warplanes bombed several areas in Idlib, raising worries of a major assault by the Assad regime forces and its allies.

The Manbij deal between Turkey and the U.S. focuses on the withdrawal of the PKK-affiliated YPG terror group from the city in order to stabilize the region.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is expected to have a bilateral meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly during the last week of September.