Obama and Erdoğan discuss Syria

LOS CABOS, Mexico - Agence France-Presse

AA Photo

US President Barack Obama and Turkey's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan met at the G20 summit Tuesday to discuss the need for a political transition in Syria.
 
Erdoğan has become a key ally for Obama in the three years since he took office and the two men have met and spoken by telephone frequently to discuss various Middle East crises.
 
"They discussed the importance of moving toward a political transition in Syria that ends bloodshed and brings about a government that reflects the will of the Syrian people," a White House statement said.
 
"They also discussed the situation in Iraq, and agreed on their support for its unity. They reviewed the need to enhance counter-terrorism cooperation," the statement said, adding the leaders also discussed economic cooperation.
 
Turkey has been the venue for meetings of various Syrian opposition groups opposed to President Bashar al-Assad.
 
The country has also registered more than 30,000 refugees who have fled over its borders from Syria, officials said.
 
Obama spent considerable time on Monday seeking to convince Russian President Vladimir Putin on the need for Assad to go, and for a political transition that would allow Syrians to chose their own future.