Tillerson to discuss fight against ISIL and extradition of Gulen

Tillerson to discuss fight against ISIL and extradition of Gulen

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is to meet the Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara.

The key topic of the talks is the fight against ISIL and the Syrian settlement.

According to the Secretary of State official, Tillerson will be there first to offer condolences to Turkey for their losses to terrorism over the years. He will also "want to recognize Turkey as a key partner in the coalition to defeat ISIS, and to appreciate its contributions in that effort.

The official also noted that Tillerson will "discuss next steps in the campaign to defeat ISIS, particularly in terms of stabilization in areas that have been liberated from ISIS to make sure that those areas remain stable and that people can return to their homes," the White House press service reported. The sides will also discuss the Raqqa offensive.

The ceasefire arrangements in Syria will be a separate topic. The US side said that it wants to see the ceasefire arrangements hold.

The question also was asked about the extradition of US-based Turkish cleric Fethullah Gulen, blamed by Ankara for a failed coup last July. "The action with that is with the Department of Justice right now. I think it’s possible that the Turks will raise it, and the Secretary will be prepared to respond if they do, but we don’t have anything new for you on that right now," the official noted.

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