U.S. urges Turkey to respect Iraq's sovereignty in anti-IS fightOctober 21, 2016 - 18:05 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - The United States and Turkey agreed Friday, October 21 during a visit to Ankara by U.S. Defense Secretary to ramp up joint efforts to deal Islamic State (IS) militants a "lasting defeat," a Pentagon spokesman said, according to the Middle East Eye. U.S. Defense Secretary Ashton Carter met with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Prime Minister Binali Yildirim, as well as Defence Minister Fikri Isik, on a visit to Turkey, a crucial ally in the fight against the IS group. "Both sides agreed to maintain frequent communication on the full range of mutual interests, including close coordination and continued transparency in the coalition effort to deal ISIL a lasting defeat," Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook said in a statement. The U.S. wants Turkey to refrain from military operations in Iraq without the green light from Baghdad, fearing the war of words could jeopordise a fragile pact to keep rival sectarian and ethnic militias out of central Mosul. Respect for Iraq's sovereignty is an "important principle", Carter told reporters on his plane en route to Turkey. During talks, Carter reaffirmed his support for the strategic alliance between the US and Turkey and vowed Washington would "continue to stand side-by-side with our NATO ally against shared threats". Washington is alarmed by tensions between Turkey and Iraq as the long-awaited battle to retake Iraq's second city Mosul from IS militants enters a decisive phase. Turkey, which fears the Mosul offensive could boost the influence of Kurdish militias hostile to Ankara, says it cannot stay on the sidelines, but Baghdad is firmly against the involvement of Turkish troops. Top stories Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev arrived in Moscow on April 22 to hold talks with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". Partner news | Ucom Celebrates Telecommunication Day May 17 commemorates the founding of the International Telecommunication Union on May 17, 1865. Armenian, Azerbaijani heads of parliament meet in Switzerland President of the Armenian parliament Alen Simonyan met with the Speaker of the Azerbaijani Milli Majlis Sahiba Gafarova. Border residents overnight on highway to protest Armenia’s Residents of Kirants continue to express outrage over the government’s decision to cede land to Azerbaijan. Get Started: An educational platform for young startuppers The Get Started program which operates in two phases is an important platform for young startuppers. |