Defense Minister Yaşar Güler and his American counterpart Lloyd Austin discussed issues related to regional defense and security by telephone, the Defense Ministry announced on Tuesday.

The phone call also focused on Syria and bilateral relations, the ministry said in a statement published on X.

The call came amid Syria’s transition from Assad’s rule earlier this month.

In Syria, the United States has long joined the SDF as its primary anti-ISIS partner, despite Turkey’s strong objections. The group is led by the YPG, the Syrian branch of the PKK, a terrorist group designated in the United States and Turkey. Washington’s support for the SDF has significantly exacerbated tensions in bilateral relations between the NATO allies.

Since the fall of Assad, clashes have continued between the SDF and the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army.

Turkey reopened its embassy in Damascus on Saturday, two days after its intelligence chief visited the Syrian capital.

Assad fled to Russia after a lightning offensive by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) wrested city after city from his control until the opposition reached the Syrian capital.

The collapse of his power stunned the world and sparked celebrations in Syria and beyond after his crackdown on pro-democracy protests in 2011 sparked one of the deadliest wars of the century.

The Sabah Daily News Bulletin

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