December 10, 2015•Update: December 11, 2015
WASHINGTON
Vice President Joe Biden and Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu on Thursday discussed efforts by the U.S. and Turkey to combat Daesh.
Both leaders also discussed ongoing developments in Iraq, emphasizing the importance of defusing recent tensions between Turkey and Iraq "in a manner that respects Iraqi sovereignty and fully coordinates counter-ISIL efforts with the coalition," according to a White House statement about the telephone call.
The posting of Turkish military trainers to Bashiqa, near Mosul, has caused a diplomatic spat between Iraq and Turkey, with Baghdad insisting they be withdrawn while the Turkish government has said the troops are merely part of a routine rotation as part of a training program for Kurdish peshmerga fighters.
The program has provided training for more than 2,500 peshmerga fighters, including officers, with the ultimate aim of fighting Daesh, according to the Turkish military.
The U.S. has urged political dialogue between the two countries to solve the issue.
