Turkish PM meets US state secretary in Ankara

By Ozcan Yildirim and Esra Kaymak Avci

ANKARA (AA) - Prime Minister Binali Yildirim met the U.S. Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, in the capital Ankara to discuss regional issues on Thursday, according to a source at the Prime Ministry.

Yildirim and Tillerson spoke about ongoing efforts to clear Daesh from Syria and Iraq during the 40-minute meeting at the Prime Ministry, the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on talking to the media, said.

Earlier this week, senior State Department officials said Tillerson would devote a part of his visit to Turkey to discuss the campaign to seize Daesh's self-proclaimed capital, Raqqah in northern Syria.

On Wednesday, Yildirim announced the Turkish-led Operation Euphrates Shield, which began in August 2016, to eliminate Daesh presence in northern Syria had come to an end.

During Thursday’s meeting, Yildirim and Tillerson also discussed the extradition of the U.S. based Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO) ringleader, Fetullah Gulen, and agreed to continue bilateral engagements over the issue, the source added.

FETO is accused of being behind the July 15, 2016, defeated coup in Turkey. The Turkish government has been seeking Gulen’s extradition following the coup bid that resulted in 249 deaths and thousands of injuries.

Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, Foreign Ministry's Undersecretary Umit Yalcin and Prime Ministry's Foreign Affairs Adviser Kerim Uras also attended the meeting.

Tillerson is also expected meet President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and other senior Turkish government officials during his day-long visit.

On Friday, the U.S. secretary of state will visit NATO in Brussels.