Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, agreed on Sept. 3 to deepen counter-terror cooperation, Daily Hurriyet News reports.
Meeting on the sidelines of the G-20 summit in the eastern Chinese city of Hangzhou, Xi told Erdoğan he appreciated Turkey stressing that it would not allow its territory to be used for acts that harmed China's security.
China "hopes both sides can achieve even more substantive results in counter-terrorism cooperation," China's state-run Xinhua news agency cited Xi as saying.
Erdoğan, in comments before reporters, said the emphasis should be on strengthening their ties.
"Fighting terrorism is a long-term issue, and is also a long-term topic discussed by the G-20," he said.
Xinhua also quoted Erdoğan as thanking China for its help in maintaining Turkey's security and stability, and that he hoped for greater counter-terrorism cooperation.
Turkey, a NATO member and part of the U.S.-led coalition against Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), has seen a series of deadly bombings this year blamed on the radical Islamists.
Beijing blames Islamist militants, including those it says come from a group called the East Turkistan Islamic Movement (ETIM), for a rise in violence in Xinjiang in recent years in which hundreds have died.
Rights groups say the unrest there is more a reaction to repressive government policies, and experts have questioned whether ETIM exists as a cohesive militant group.
Officials in Xinjiang have stepped up regulations banning overt signs of religious observance, like veils or beards.
Turkey had expressed concern about reports of restrictions on Uighurs worshipping and fasting during the holy month of Ramadan last year, angering China.
