US Secretary of State Tillerson in Turkey for talks

Speaking ahead a NATO Foreign Ministers Summit in Brussels, Stoltenberg welcomed the discussion on fighting against Daesh and cooperation in Syria between two allies of the military alliance. Obviously, Turkey does not want a confrontation with Russian Federation or the USA, but at the same time it is likely to pursue its interests and maintain its red lines regarding the Kurds. Raqqa is southeast of the Syrian area that Turkish troops have occupied.

Tillerson also met with Yildirim on Thursday.

The ISIS fight, along with efforts to help Ukraine deal with Russian aggression, will be topics in Brussels, where Trump’s global envoy will meet with his North Atlantic Treaty Organisation counterparts. The visit follows months of political upheaval and a series of devastating terrorist attacks that have left Turkey reeling – and at times at odds with the U.S.

“Operation Euphrates Shield, which began with protecting our borders, prevented the ISIS threat and returned Syrian refugees to their homes, ended successfully”, the Turkish National Security Council stated.

A senior State Department official said Washington was “mindful” of Turkey’s concerns regarding the YPG, but added that the diverse set of actors fighting ISIS in Syria has proven “quite effective”.

“Syrians in Turkey have returned”. Tillerson also said Ankara and Washington have the common goal of reducing Iran’s potential to disrupt the region.

Turkish businessman Reza Zarrab, who also has Iranian citizenship, pleaded not guilty after his March 2016 arrest in Miami.

Mr Tillerson is expected to push the USA agenda of increased defence spending by North Atlantic Treaty Organisation allies. Therefore, it is clear that Moscow and Washington would prefer the Syrian Kurds to the Turkish Army in the offensive to retake Raqqa – at least for now.

Turkey accuses Gulen, an erstwhile Erdogan ally who lives in self-imposed in Pennsylvania, of ordering the July military coup bid, charges he strongly denies.

“It incorrectly, but understandably, signals the United States is rooting for Erdogan”.

FOREIGN MINISTER CAVUSOGLU: Oh, okay.

The United States backs the YPG as a member of a larger cohort of militias, known as the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).

The other question I have is the previous administration said that Syrian President Assad must go. “Our priority is no longer to sit and focus on getting Assad out”, Haley said. How do you see that issue being moved forward as you move more aggressively on Raqqa?

Even before Tillerson landed, Turkish officials this week leaked to the local news media a damaging rumor about the U.S. Consulate in Istanbul that seemed timed to put pressure on the secretary’s visit.

So in terms of the tactics that are necessary to achieve that outcome, that is why we meet. He did, however, hail Turkey as a “key partner” in the coalition against the jihadis.

Officials from the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation allies said the ministers would discuss issues including the Syrian conflict, now in its seventh year. They are hard options. These are not easy decisions. So this has been very good, the conversations today were very frank, very candid, and we will be taking those conversations away.

Shortly after Tillerson’s arrival in Ankara, Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag told broadcaster A Haber that the arrest was a “completely political move” created to tarnish Turkey and Erdogan, and questioned the evidence in the case.