Turkish, US presidential aides discuss ties, regional matters

ANKARA

Turkish presidential spokesperson İbrahim Kalın and U..S National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan exchanged views on bilateral relations and regional issues during a telephone call on Nov. 19. 

The two officials spoke about political and economic relations, cooperation in defense, global and regional matters, the Turkish Presidency said in a statement.

They also discussed the humanitarian and political situation in Afghanistan, the territorial integrity of Syria and clearing of terrorists, the political process and upcoming elections in Libya, Nagorno-Karabakh, developments on Ukraine’s borders, the migrant crisis on the Poland-Belarus border and developments in the Eastern Mediterranean.

Details of a joint strategic mechanism agreed during the meeting between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and U.S. President Joe Biden on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Rome were also discussed.

U.S. National Security Council spokesperson Emily Horne also said in a statement that Kalın and Sullivan “discussed next steps in U.S.-Turkey bilateral engagements” after the meeting between Biden and Erdoğan in Rome on Oct. 31.

“They exchanged views on a range of regional issues, including developments in Ukraine, Afghanistan, Syria, and the South Caucasus, as well as the importance of maintaining stability in the Eastern Mediterranean,” she said.