Turkish, US army chiefs meet at NATO meeting in Athens

ANKARA-Anadolu Agency

Turkey's Chief of General Staff Yaşar Güler met U.S. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley in the Greek capital Athens on Sept. 19 as part of the NATO Military Committee Conference.

According to a statement by the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, two officials addressed "multiple items of mutual security interest."

"They discussed the Afghanistan withdrawal, regional security, and counter-terrorism operations. The two leaders also discussed refugees and avoiding a humanitarian crisis," it read.

The statement also hailed the relations between Turkey and the U.S., saying the two countries "enjoy a strong and continuous military relationship as key members of the NATO alliance."

The NATO Military Committee Conference, which is attended by chiefs of defense of ally countries, allows discussing issues of strategic importance to the alliance.

An earlier NATO statement on the conference said the "Military Committee will also discuss the NATO 2030 initiative, along with its military implications and opportunities."