ANKARA 

The Turkish defense minister on Thursday discussed bilateral security and regional issues with his US counterpart over phone. 

During the conversation, National Defense Minister Hulusi Akar and US Secretary of Defense Lloyd James Austin had "a positive exchange of views" on regional matters and bilateral defense and security issues before the upcoming NATO Summit, the Turkish National Defense Ministry said on Twitter.

Minister of National Defence Hulusi Akar and US Secretary of Defence Lloyd James Austin had a telephone call on June 10. During the call, they had a positive exchange of views on regional and bilateral defence and security issues before the upcoming NATO Summit. https://t.co/BQyYeh6VLx

— T.C. Millî Savunma Bakanlığı (@tcsavunma) June 10, 2021

A top-level meeting of NATO member states will be held on June 14 in Brussels, Belgium.