Obama calls upon Turkish Prime Minister to express regret over WikiLeaks exposures

U.S. President Barack Obama called upon Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday to express his regrets over the "deplorable action" by WikiLeaks, saying the whistle-blowing website's recent disclosure of secret cables should not harm bilateral ties, Turkish news agency Hurriyet reports.

"The president expressed his regrets for the deplorable action by WikiLeaks and the two leaders agreed that it will not influence or disrupt the close cooperation between the United States and Turkey," the White House said in a written statement Saturday.

"The leaders discussed the enduring importance of the U.S.-Turkish partnership and affirmed their commitment to work together on a broad range of issues," said the White House.