On Wednesday, a top US Defense Department official affirmed Turkey’s “military modernization needs in support of NATO.”
Spokesperson Lt. Col. Anton Semelroth said in a statement that Laura Cooper, the Defense Department’s acting Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs also “highlighted cooperation on the Black Sea” during a United States-Turkey high-level defense group dialogue session at the Pentagon.
Cooper serves as the Pentagon’s head for the discussions.
Spokesperson Semelroth has stated the meeting between the Turkish and US delegations on Tuesday “discussed an array of functional and regional issues, including transnational priorities, such as defeating terrorism, and regional security in Afghanistan, Africa, the South Caucasus, the Eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East.”
According to the Pentagon, a follow-up meeting was agreed upon by both sides, though a clear date has not been given.
Meanwhile, the Turkish defense ministry announced that the high-level meeting between military delegations in the United States was held in a positive and constructive atmosphere, adding that the next meeting will be held in Turkey.
In a written statement, the ministry said the delegations discussed bilateral and regional security issues as well as the F-16s issue.
