Turkey's Defence Minister Hulusi Akar talks with U.S. Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis
Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar and his U.S. counterpart James Mattis spoke over the phone, said a Turkish ministry source on Friday.
Akar and Mattis exchanged views on bilateral defense relations, situation in Syria and the fight against terrorism, said the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on talking to the media.
In a statement, Eric Pahon, a spokesman for Pentagon, said the two men agreed that the combined patrols between the U.S. and Turkish military forces northwest of Manbij, Syria "were an important step toward de-escalating tensions along the border and maintaining security and stability in the region".
Turkish and American troops on Thursday began their first round of joint patrols in Manbij, as part of a deal to rid the area of the YPG/PKK terrorist group.
Since June 18, the Turkish Armed Forces have carried out 68 individual patrols in Manbij.
In its more than 30-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK -- listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S. and the EU -- has been responsible for the death of 40,000 people, including women and children. The YPG is its Syrian branch.
The United States on Friday removed two top Turkish officials from the Global Magnitsky Act sanctions list, according to the Treasury Department website.The United States had imposed sanctions on the officials, Justice Minister Abdulhamit Gül and Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu, in August over Turkey's imprisonment of American pastor Andrew Brunson.Brunson was released in October and has since returned to the United States.The Turkish Foreign Ministry said it had lifted sanctions imposed against U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen and Attorney General Jeff Sessions within the framework of reciprocity.The ministry said in a statement released minutes after the U.S. move that the sanctions on Nielsen and Sessions, which include a travel ban into the country and freezing of assets in Turkey, had been lifted in response to the U.S. move.Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his U.S. counterpart Donald Trump had discussed improving frosty relations between Washington and Ankara during a call between the two leaders, the Turkish presidency said on Thursday.Turkey's Erdoğan, Trump talk bilateral, regional issues
Turkey, US lift tit-for-tat sanctions