CIA chief, Turkish PM hold closed-door talks on SyriaMarch 13, 2012 - 23:14 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - CIA chief David Petraeus met Turkey's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday, March 13, for closed-door talks focusing on the crisis across the border in Syria. According to AFP, Petraeus, director of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency, also discussed the latest developments in neighboring Iran and efforts to counter Kurdish rebels. U.S. embassy spokesman T.J. Grubisha said Petraeus met with Erdogan and Turkish National Intelligence Organization chief Hakan Fidan and "discussed areas of mutual concern, including regional security issues and counter-terrorism cooperation. "They foresee even closer and more fruitful cooperation on the region's most pressing issues in the coming months." Erdogan has been fiercely critical of the Syrian regime's year-long crackdown on the opposition and has called on President Bashar al-Assad to quit. The talks were not part of Erdogan's official itinerary. The premier's office declined to comment on the report.   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 |  Latest news Erdogan wants “realistic road map” for relations with Armenia  Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has called for a “new realistic road map” for relations with Armenia.Armenia-Azerbaijan: Experts launch work on determining coordinates Expert groups from the countries started the process of determining the coordinates based on geodetic measurements.Yerevan says did not expect CSTO in peacekeeping role Pashinyan has declared that the CSTO would be expected to come to the Armenia-Azerbaijan border as an ally of ArmeniaHenrikh Mkhitaryan wins Serie A title with Inter Inter Milan midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan admits that the team have long been imagining clinching Serie A against AC Milan. |
