US, Germany Stress Importance Of Turkey As NATO Partner, Call For Further Dialogue - Maas

LEIPZIG (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 08th November, 2019) Germany and the United States consider Turkey to be an important NATO partner and believe it is necessary to continue a dialogue with Ankara, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said on Thursday after talks with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in Leipzig.

"We discussed different aspects of the situation with Turkey, all controversies that we have. We agreed that despite the disagreements, Turkey is an important NATO partner. Hence, we need to continue our dialogue," the minister said.

The parties have discussed the situation in north Syria and stressed the importance of a sustainable armistice in the region, Maas added.

On October 9, Turkey launched Operation Peace Spring to clear its southern border area of the Islamic State terrorist group (banned in Russia) and Kurdish militia, which Ankara considers to be terrorists. The United States and Turkey agreed on October 17 to establish a 120-hour ceasefire in the area to allow the withdrawal of the Kurdish fighters. As the five-day ceasefire came to an end, Ankara and Moscow reached an agreement in Sochi that would facilitate the Kurdish fighters' pull back from the border area. Turkey and Russia have since begun joint patrols along the border.