Turkish, US army chiefs meet at NATO meeting in Athens

ANKARA

Turkey's Chief of General Staff Yasar Guler met US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley in the Greek capital Athens on Sunday as part of the NATO Military Committee Conference.

According to a statement by the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, two officials addressed "multiple items of mutual security interest."

"They discussed the Afghanistan withdrawal, regional security, and counter-terrorism operations. The two leaders also discussed refugees and avoiding a humanitarian crisis," it read.

The statement also hailed the relations between Turkey and the US, saying the two countries "enjoy a strong and continuous military relationship as key members of the NATO alliance."

The NATO Military Committee Conference, which is attended by chiefs of defense of ally countries, allows discussing issues of strategic importance to the alliance.

An earlier NATO statement on the conference said the "Military Committee will also discuss the NATO 2030 initiative, along with its military implications and opportunities."