Obama, Erdoğan agree on the need to de-escalate tension between Turkey and Russia

ANKARA

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (L) shakes hands with US President Barak Obama (R) during the G20 Leaders Summit wellcoming cerenomy on November 15,2015 in Antalya. AFP Photo

Turkish and American presidents, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Barack Obama, discussed the Turkish Air Forces’ downing of a Russian jetfighter during a phone conversation late Nov. 24 and agreed on the need to de-escalate tension between Ankara and Moscow. 

At the meeting Obama expressed “U.S. and NATO support for Turkey’s right to defend its sovereignty,” the White House and the Turkish Presidency said in separate statements. “The leaders agreed on the importance of de-escalating the situation and pursuing arrangements to ensure that such incidents do not happen again,” read the statements.

The two leaders have also confirmed their commitment in continuing their joint efforts to defeat the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and bring about a political transition to end the Syrian unrest.    

Meanwhile, Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu also telephoned German Chancellor Angela Merkel, British Prime Minister David Cameron as well as NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg about the incident late Nov. 24.