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Release
Immediate Release

Readout of Secretary of Defense Mark T. Esper's Phone Call With Turkish Minister of Defense Hulusi Akar

Oct. 3, 2019

Pentagon Chief Spokesperson Jonathan R. Hoffman provided the following readout:

Secretary of Defense Mark T. Esper and Turkish Minister of National Defense Hulusi Akar held a phone call October 3, 2019, in which they discussed the situation in northeast Syria, regional security and bilateral defense cooperation. 

Secretary Esper and Minister Akar acknowledged the progress made on the implementation of a security mechanism in northeast Syria and affirmed the mechanism as the way to secure the border in a sustainable manner, ensure the Global Coalition can prevent an ISIS resurgence, and remain fully committed to the close coordination of military operations.

Esper Defense Secretary SecDef