Readout of Secretary Mattis’ Bilateral Meeting with Turkish Minister of Defense Fikri Işik

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE – February 16, 2017

Secretary of Defense Spokesperson Cmdr. Sarah Higgins provided the following readout:

Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis met with Turkish Minister of Defense Fikri Işik yesterday on the margins of the NATO Defense Ministerial in Brussels, Belgium. The secretary recognized Turkey’s contributions to the NATO alliance and welcomed a transparent dialogue with an ally facing significant threats – within and outside its borders. Secretary Mattis assured Minister Işik of the support of the United States as a strategic partner in the counter-ISIS campaign.

The secretary and minister agreed to continue their full range of bilateral defense activities and consultations, and to look for ways to further strengthen defense cooperation in the future.