WASHINGTON
Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff Martin E. Dempsey has said Turkey and the United States agreed to work together on the Syria crisis and other regional issues.
"US and Turkish leaders have a similar view of events in Syria and [they] agreed to work together on that and other regional issues," Pentagon's press office quoted Dempsey as saying aboard his plane during his flight back to Washington from Ankara, Turkey.
Dempsey met with his Turkish counterpart Gen. Necdet Ozel, Defense Minister Ismet Yilmaz, and officials at the Turkish Foreign Ministry during his stay in Ankara.
"We shared our insights into the common interests we are both trying to address in the region. We agreed to recommit ourselves to collaborate on the regional issues -- not just issues unique to either Turkey or the United States," Dempsey said.
Dempsey said Turkish officials also expressed concern about "the prolonged nature of the conflict. They believe the longer the fighting lasts in Syria, the greater the chances of sectarian division," he said.
Dempsey said the Turkish officials brought up the issue of humanitarian efforts as well, adding that Turkey was also "concerned about the continuing influx of refugees and [the Turkish officials] are reaching out to the international community to assist them in that regard."
Dempsey said Turkish leaders had not asked for any US military assistance for the refugees, adding that the US was committed "to continue to monitor the situation, and we will continue to engage at all levels in order to think through some of the contingencies that might occur with regard to the humanitarian issue."
