Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Ambassador Sedat Önal visited Washington
on 1-2 November and had meetings with U.S. Under Secretary of State David
Hale and Under Secretary of Defense John Rood.
In the meetings, the ways of enhancing relations between the two allied
countries and coordination on regional issues were discussed. In this
context, the need for making the existing cooperation mechanisms functional
was also emphasized.
During the meetings, both sides expressed their satisfaction for launching
joint patrols in accordance with the previously agreed Manbij Roadmap
between the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and the importance of full
implementation of the Roadmap was emphasized.
In this respect, it has been underlined that the ending of the U.S.
engagement with PYD/YPG was a fundamental necessity, not only for Turkey's
national security, but also for establishing sustainable peace and
stability in Syria.
It has also been affirmed that provocative actions of PYD/YPG near our
Syria border have been retaliated strongly in accordance with our rules of
engagement and that no terrorist activities would be tolerated whomever
they may come from as we had already expressed.
Our sensitivities regarding the presence of FETÖ and particularly its
leader in the U.S. have once again been made clear and our expectation that
the need for concrete steps to be taken on this subject soon was
registered.