Pentagon Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder provided the following readout:
Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III spoke by phone today with Turkish Minister of National Defense Yaşar Güler to express his condolences for the tragic terrorist attack in Ankara on October 23. The Secretary acknowledged Türkiye's legitimate security concerns and discussed Türkiye's recent operations in Syria. The Secretary stressed the need to avoid any civilian harm and reaffirmed the importance of close coordination between the United States and Türkiye to prevent any risk to U.S. forces for the Defeat-ISIS Mission. The Secretary congratulated Minister Güler on Türkiye's celebration of its 101st anniversary of the founding of the Turkish Republic.