US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin had a phone conversation with Turkish Defense Minister Yashar Guler. According to the report, Austin expressed condolences over the terrorist attack in Ankara and acknowledged Turkey's "legitimate security concerns" and discussed Turkey's recent actions in Syria.
The Secretary of State stressed the need to avoid any harm to civilians and reiterated the importance of close coordination between the US and Turkey to prevent any threat to US forces as part of the counter-ISIS mission.
The minister also congratulated Guler on the occasion of the 101st anniversary of the founding of the Republic of Turkey.
