Obama, Turkey’s Erdogan agree to stem flow of foreign fighters: White House

The Turkish government has long been pushing for the establishment of a buffer zone in Syria alongside the Turkish border, but has so far been unsuccessful in convincing its western allies to enforce a security and no-fly zone in Syria.

Obama and Erdogan also discussed efforts to combat the Islamic State group and stop foreign fighters from crossing Turkey’s border with Syria to join IS.

The soldier was killed in the region of Kilis on the border.

“The Suruc attack seems retaliation for the belated interdiction”, he said, adding that Erdogan’s policies of allowing Isis to build up its presence across the border has permitted the militant group to metastasize and pose a threat to Turkey.

A plainclothes policeman stands guard following an attack on police officers in Diyarbakir, Turkey, July 23, 2015. CNN Turk, citing unidentified officials, also reported that warplanes were scrambled to respond to the fighting.

The raids came after 32 people were killed in a suicide bombing Monday in a Turkish town on the Syrian border, blamed on IS.

The Suruc bombing inflamed tensions with Turkey’s Kurdish minority, which is unhappy over the lack of support provided by the government to Kurdish militias fighting the jihadists and accuses Ankara of backing IS.

“We have decided to further deepen our cooperation in the fight against ISIL, our common efforts to promote security and stability in Iraq, and our work to bring about a political settlement to the conflict in Syria”, said Laura Seal, a Defense Department spokeswoman.

It followed the killing of a Turkish soldier by cross-border fire from the fighters.

Meanwhile, YDG-H claimed it had shot dead an alleged former IS fighter in Istanbul late Tuesday.

The unrest has intensified fears that the battle raging between IS jihadists and Kurds inside Syria has spilt over onto Turkish territory. The U.S. Air Force’s 39th Air Base Wing is based there, and its proximity to IS strongholds in Syria makes it a strategically advantageous place from which to attack the militant group.

The details of the agreement were sealed in a telephone conversation Wednesday between President Obama and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, a senior U.S. administration official said, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive information.