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U.S., Turkish leaders discuss cooperation in fight against IS

Xinhua, March 27, 2015 Adjust font size:

U.S. President Barack Obama spoke with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday to discuss ongoing cooperation in the fight against the Islamic State (IS) extremist group.

The two leaders reviewed the train and equip program for vetted members of the moderate Syrian opposition, a part of Obama's strategy to "degrade and destroy" IS militants, the White House said in a statement.

Ankara and Washington have been in negotiations on efforts to combat the IS in Syria. Talks on the train and equip program have continued for months.

During the telephone talk, Obama expressed appreciation for Turkey's continuing support to nearly 2 million refugees from Iraq and Syria and for Ankara's "positive" efforts to stem the flow of foreign fighters, according to the statement.

The leaders also discussed the latest developments in Yemen and Ukraine and in negotiations over Iran's nuclear program, and pledged to continue to work closely on these and other regional issues, it added. Endite