Turkish, US officials discuss Syria in Ankara

ANKARA

A high-level United States delegation on Jan. 23 discussed a number of issues, including Syria, with Turkish officials, according to a Turkish diplomatic source.

The Turkish group led by Deputy Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Ahmet Muhtar Gün and the U.S. delegation headed by Deputy Assistant Secretary Jonathan Cohen met at the Foreign Ministry in the capital Ankara.

The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on talking to the media, said the meeting lasted for four-and-a-half hours.

The U.S. delegation also attended a joint working group meeting at the Turkish General Staff on Syria, Iraq and the fight against terrorism.

The meeting came after Turkey on Jan. 20 launched “Operation Olive Branch” to clear Syrian Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) militants from Afrin in northwestern Syria.