Turkish, American defense chiefs talk over phone

Akar, Mattis talk about bilateral defense relations, Syria, fight against terrorism

Turkish, American defense chiefs talk over phone

National Defense Minister Hulusi Akar and U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis spoke over the phone late Monday, a Defense Ministry source told Anadolu Agency.

Akar and Mattis exchanged views on the Turkey-U.S. defense relations, Syria and the fight against terrorism, the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on talking to the media, said.

Syria has been locked in a vicious civil war since early 2011, when the Bashar al-Assad regime cracked down on pro-democracy protests - which erupted as part of the "Arab Spring" uprisings - with unexpected ferocity.