Erdoğan, Trump confirm united stance on increasing cooperation, coordination
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his U.S. counterpart, Donald Trump, discussed bilateral and regional issues in a telephone call on March 30, according to the Turkish presidency.
The two leaders discussed the latest developments in Syria and Iraq, as well as counter-terrorism.
Erdoğan and Trump also confirmed their determination to increased cooperation and coordination as allies.
Also on the agenda were demonstrations near the Gaza Strip's eastern border with Israel that began earlier in the day.
Tens of thousands of Palestinians in the blockaded Gaza Strip converged on the border to demand the right to return to their homes in historical Palestine.
The demonstrations are also intended to pressure Israel to lift its decade-long blockade of the Hamas-run Gaza Strip.
Turkish foreign undersecretary meets US counterpart
Meanwhile, Turkish Foreign Undersecretary Ümit Yalçın met U.S. Deputy Secretary of State John J. Sullivan in Washington on March 30 as the NATO allies asserted their commitment to address common concerns in the spirit of partnership.
The both men reviewed the current state of Turkish-American relations and agreed to continue efforts in resolving major issues affecting bilateral ties, according to information received from the Turkish Foreign Ministry.
The ministry said the issue of Manbij, Syria was addressed in the scope of previous meetings and reasserted a determination to jointly advance on the matter.
The pair also discussed ways to enhance cooperation between Turkey and the U.S. in efforts to permanently eliminate the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and provide security and stability to ISIL-free regions in Syria.
Additionally, Yalçın informed Sullivan on developments regarding Afrin, Syria, and Turkey's humanitarian aid efforts for establishing stability
The closed-door meeting addressed consular and judicial issues between the Turkish and U.S. delegations.
Ahead of the visit, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said results of working group meetings March 8-9 in Washington were also on the agenda.
Turkey and the U.S. have been trying to iron out a number of issues, principally concerning the People's Protection Units (YPG) in Syria which the U.S. supports as a "reliable ally" in the fight against ISIL.
And both nations have established working groups to discuss a number of issues, including the stabilization of Manbij, Syria, and preventing direct clashes.
The removal of Rex Tillerson as U.S.'s top diplomat delayed a visit to Washington by Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu that was previously set for March 19.