19 February 2016•Update: 20 February 2016
ANKARA
Turkish president and his American counterpart spoke over the phone for over an hour to discuss a host of issues, including Wednesday’s Ankara bombing and the ongoing Syrian crisis, Turkish and U.S. official sources said Friday night.
According to the Turkish presidency's statement, Obama condemned the bomb attack in the Turkish capital Ankara Wednesday that left 28 people dead and 81 others injured.
Speaking to reporters in Washington, White House spokesman Josh Earnest said that during the Obama-initiated call, the two leaders also discussed the situation in Syria.
The Wednesday attack is believed to be carried out jointly by a Syrian-national YPG member and PKK terrorists based in Turkey. The YPG is the military wing of the PYG, the Syrian affiliate of the PKK.
Obama also offered his condolences for a Thursday attack on a Turkish military convoy in Diyarbakir province that left six people dead, Earnest said.
According to Turkish presidency's statement, Obama also emphasized on his country's determination to back Turkey's national security and its right of self-defense.
The American president also expressed concerns over the advance of Syrian regime and the YPG forces in northwestern Syria, the Turkish statement added.
The two leaders also discussed recent developments in Syria as well as cooperation in the fight against terrorism between the two countries, the statement said.
Meanwhile, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has conveyed his condolences to Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu over the Ankara attack.
Stoltenberg said NATO strongly supports Turkey's fight against terrorism, Turkish Prime Ministry sources said.
Turkey considers the PKK, PYD and YPG to be terrorist outfits, while the U.S. designates only the PKK as a terrorist organization and regards the YPG as a "reliable partner" in northern Syria.
