UPDATE - Turkish military chief meets US, Russia counterparts

UPDATES WITH TURKISH GENERAL STAFF STATEMENT ON MEETING

By Ozcan Yildirim

ANKARA (AA) - Top military chiefs of Turkey, the U.S. and Russia discussed the regional security situation at a meeting in southern Antalya province Tuesday, according to Turkish General Staff.

Chief of Turkish General Staff Hulusi Akar, his U.S. counterpart Joseph Dunford and Russia’s Valery Gerasimov exchanged views on the security situation in the region, particularly on Syria and Iraq, the military said in a statement.

In another written statement later Tuesday, the Turkish army said that all three generals have discussed the counter-terrorism efforts in the Middle East and the security challenges specifically in Syria and Iraq.

Additional measures to avoid unwanted de-escalation between the armies of Turkey, U.S. and Russia in the region during strengthened counter-terrorism operations in the future, was also among the issues discussed, the statement added.

The meeting came ahead of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's two-day visit to Moscow, which is expected to start Thursday.