Obama, Erdogan speak on phone

PanARMENIAN.Net - Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and U.S. President Barack Obama spoke on phone on Friday, Jan 13, to discuss regional developments, Today’s Zaman reported.

The PM’s office said in a statement that Erdogan and Obama discussed issues related to the security and development of the Middle East and North Africa. The statement said the two leaders discussed ways to continue supporting a broad-based government in Baghdad that will bring stability, democracy and prosperity.

Erdoğan’s discussion with Obama came two days after the Turkish Prime Minister talked to his Iraqi counterpart, Nouri al-Maliki, warning him that arrest warrant he issued for one of his Sunni vice presidents, also a close friend of Turkey, will hurt democracy in the war-torn country.

Obama and Erdoğan also discussed recent developments in Syria and agreed that both countries will continue condemning Syrian regime’s brutal military crackdown on protesters and will support legitimate demands of Syrian people.

The statement added that both leaders expressed that there is a need for Iran to continue its dialogue with international community with respect to its suspected nuclear program.

Iran's parliamentary speaker Ali Larijani, who is on a visit to Turkey, said that he believes that the standoff over his country's nuclear program can be solved through serious talks.