U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis met Thursday with Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım in London. In a brief readout of the approximately 30-minute meeting, a Pentagon statement said the two officials discussed a range of bilateral security issues.
The roughly half-hour meeting in London appeared to be the highest-level talks between the U.S. and Turkey since Washington announced on Tuesday plans to back the YPG militants.
"The secretary reiterated U.S. commitment to protecting our NATO ally. Both leaders affirmed their support for peace and stability in both Iraq and Syria," stated the readout.
Mattis told Yıldırım on Thursday that Washington was committed to protecting its NATO ally, Pentagon spokeswoman Dana White said, as Turkey fumes over a decision to arm Kurdish YPG militants in Syria.
Before his meeting with Mattis, Yıldırım had said that "there is still an opportunity for the United States to take Turkey's sensitivities into consideration. Otherwise, the outcome won't only affect Turkey. A negative outcome will also emerge for the United States."
Mattis has played down the friction between the allies, saying that while "it's not always tidy," they will resolve any differences.
Mattis, speaking on Wednesday, expressed confidence that the United States would be able to resolve tensions with Turkey over the decision to arm the Kurds, saying: "We'll work out any of the concerns."
