Erdogan meets UN chief, leaders in New York

WASHINGTON

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met Tuesday with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres in New York.

The meeting was held at UN headquarters on the margins of the UN General Assembly's 74th session.

In a statement, the UN said Erdogan and Guterres exchanged views on the fight against climate change.

"They also discussed situations of mutual concern, including Syria, Libya and Cyprus," said the statement.

Erdogan also held a number of talks, including with Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama, which took place behind closed doors.

The president later met with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

The closed-door meeting was attended by Turkish Treasury and Finance Minister Berat Albayrak, Defense Minister Hulusi Akar, Trade Minister Ruhsar Pekcan and Communications Director Fahrettin Altun, among others.

Another political figure Erdogan met was Gabriela Cuevas Barron, president of the Inter-Parliamentary Union. The meeting was held at UN headquarters and closed to the media.

He also received Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte.

The meeting between Erdogan and Conte lasted 45 minutes, during which Turkish Environment Minister Murat Kurum, Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu and Akar were present.

Earlier in the day, Erdogan addressed the UN General Assembly.