“Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III spoke by phone today with Turkish Minister of National Defense Hulusi Akar to offer condolences for the loss of life in the Istanbul attack on November 13, and subsequent attacks in southern Türkiye, and reaffirmed the importance of the U.S.-Türkiye strategic relationship,” the U.S. Department of Defense said in a statement.

“He also expressed concern over escalating action in northern Syria and Türkiye, including recent airstrikes, some of which directly threatened the safety of U.S. personnel who are working with local partners in Syria to defeat ISIS. Secretary Austin called for de-escalation, and shared the Department’s strong opposition to a new Turkish military operation in Syria,” the department added. (ILKHA)