Obama, Erdoğan discuss Syria and Egypt by phoneAugust 8, 2013 - 13:32 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and U.S. President Barack Obama spoke by phone Wednesday, Aug 7 to discuss developments in Syria and Egypt, the White House said, according to Hurriyet Daily News. During the course of the call, requested by Erdoğan, the two “discussed the danger of foreign extremists in Syria and agreed on the importance of supporting a unified and inclusive” opposition, it said in a statement. Syrian rebels suffered a huge blow Wednesday with 62 of them reported killed in an ambush, as Obama announced Washington would be providing an additional $195 million in food and other humanitarian aid to the war-torn country. More than 100,000 people have been killed in Syria since fighting there broke out 28 months ago. Some 1.8 million people have fled and sought refuge in neighboring nations. Erdoğan and Obama also expressed concern about the situation in Egypt, where diplomatic attempts to broker a negotiated settlement in the wake of the ouster of President Mohamed Morsi have made no headway. Egypt’s government has vowed to remove Islamist protest camps, sparking fears of violence. “The president and prime minister expressed concern about the situation in Egypt and a shared commitment to supporting a democratic and inclusive way forward,” the statement said. “The two leaders agreed to have their teams continue to coordinate closely to promote our shared interests.” Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads. Partner news | Narek Manasyan wins European Boxing Championships silver for Armenia Armenia’s Narek Manasyan (92kg) won Armenia’s second silver medal at the European Boxing Championships 2024 on April 28. Blinken urges Azerbaijan to continue negotiations with Armenia Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken has urged Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to continue negotiations with Armenia. Pashinyan, Blinken talk Armenia-U.S. ties over the phone Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan had a phone conversation with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on April 28, Pashinyan’s office reports. Titus, Bilirakis lead legislation to sanction Azerbaijani war criminals Representatives Dina Titus (D-NV) and Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) have introduced the bipartisan legislation. |