Obama, Erdogan discuss Mideast conflicts

White House statement says leaders noted the importance of normalizing Israel-Turkey ties; agreed to cooperate on Syria

File: Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, left, with US President Barack Obama during a bilateral meeting in 2011. (AP/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)
File: Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, left, with US President Barack Obama during a bilateral meeting in 2011. (AP/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

TOLUCA, Mexico — The White House said Wednesday night that President Barack Obama and Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan discussed Mideast conflicts in Syria, Iraq and Israel.

Obama and Erdogan spoke by phone Wednesday. Obama is in Mexico for a regional summit.

The White House said Obama and Erdogan conferred on Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, and spoke of “the importance of quickly concluding [Turkey’s] normalization agreement with Israel,” according to an official statement.

The White House said Obama and Erdogan agreed to cooperate closely to combat terrorism in Syria and pursue a political solution. Turkey is especially concerned about violence and refugees spilling over the border.

The leaders also discussed Iraq and the need for an energy agreement between the Baghdad government and Iraq’s self-ruled northern Kurdish region, which has moved to unilaterally send crude oil to Turkey. And Obama thanked Erdogan for working to restart peace talks in Cyprus.

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