Turkish, US defense chiefs discuss Syria, Iraq

Turkish and U.S. defense ministers discussed on Feb. 12 the situation in Syria and Iraq on the sidelines of NATO defense ministers meeting in Brussels.

Turkey's defense chief Hulusi Akar and his U.S. counterpart Mark Esper exchanged views on security and defense issues regarding Syria and Iraq, including the situation in Idlib.

The ministers discussed the importance of more concrete steps by both the U.S. and NATO on Idlib.

Prior to the main meeting of the NATO defense ministers, Akar expressed content with statements by U.S. officials regarding the latest developments in Idlib.

Akar meets with Panagiotopoulos 

Akar also met with his Greek counterpart Nikos Panagiotopoulos on Feb. 12 in Brussels and agreed to hold talks later this month on confidence-building measures.

Talks between delegations from the two countries will take place in Athens from Feb. 17-21.

Akar and Panagiotopoulos also underlined the importance of keeping dialogue channels open between the two countries.

Within the scope of the NATO Defense Ministers Meeting, Akar participated in a session held for countries taking part in NATO's Resolute Support mission and then met with Ukrainian Defense Minister Andriy Zagorodniuk.

The two counterparts also discussed regional developments and cooperation on military issues.

Akar also attended the first session of the NATO Defense Ministers Meeting, which addressed the alliance's operations and missions.

At the two-day meeting in Brussels, NATO defense ministers are discussing security and stability in the Middle East with a special focus on the fight against ISIL as well as the alliance's role in Afghanistan and its response to Russian missile deployments.