The President
spoke today by phone with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey to
express his condolences for the many killed and wounded in the
horrific terrorist attack against a nightclub in Istanbul on December
31, for which ISIL has claimed responsibility, as well as the December
17 attack against off-duty Turkish security personnel in Kayseri, for
which TAK, a wing of the PKK, has claimed responsibility.
The two leaders agreed that Turkey and the United States must continue
to stand united in order to defeat terrorism. President Obama welcomed
Turkey’s ongoing efforts to work with regional actors to facilitate a
nationwide ceasefire in Syria and a return
to political negotiations between the Syrian regime and the
opposition. President Obama and President Erdogan noted recent progress
in the Coalition’s campaign against ISIL in Iraq and Syria, and agreed
on the need to continue and deepen coordination between
the United States and Turkey. Finally, the leaders discussed Cyprus
and expressed hope that upcoming diplomatic engagements will result in
an agreement to reunify the island as a bizonal, bicommunal federation.
Source: The White House, Office of the Press Secretary
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