Al-Jazeera correspondent in Ankara quoted military sources in the Turkish Ministry of Defense that Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar made a phone call today, Thursday, with his American counterpart, Lloyd Austin.
According to a statement issued by the Turkish Ministry of Defense, the communication dealt with issues related to regional security and bilateral cooperation in defense affairs.
The statement added that the two ministers stressed the importance of strategic relations and the development of a common viewpoint on regional and global security.
The two ministers stressed the need to solve the problems in accordance with the spirit of strategic partnership and alliance between the two countries.
Akar and Austin renewed their countries' commitment to close cooperation and coordination within the framework of strengthening bilateral military relations.
Akar congratulated his US counterpart again on assuming the post of Defense Secretary in the new US administration last January.
During the past years, a fluctuating relationship prevailed between Washington and Ankara, marred by some disagreements over a number of files, most notably the issue of Turkey's purchase of the Russian S-400 air defense system, and the United States' consideration of that system as a threat to NATO systems ( NATO) and the F-35 fighters owned by some western countries.