ANKARA

The Turkish national defense minister discussed regional issues with his Iranian counterpart and head of the Iranian Armed Forces General Staff over the phone, an official statement from Turkey said Thursday.

Turkey's Hulusi Akar firstly spoke to Iran's Mohammad Bagheri, head of the Iranian Armed Forces General Staff, in the morning, according to Turkey's National Defense Ministry.

Akar also spoke with Iranian Defense Minister Amir Hatami in a separate phone conversation, the statement added.

The officials discussed recent developments in the region and exchanged views on bilateral and regional defense and security issues.

* Writing by Gozde Bayar