US Government Seeks to Deepen Security Ties With Turkey

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — The Obama administration will deepen security ties with Turkey this week when a US interagency delegation visits Ankara for a bilateral counterterrorism meeting, especially with respect to eliminating the Islamic State, also known as Daesh, the US Department of State said in a media release on Monday.

"Deputy Secretary of State Antony Blinken will lead an interagency delegation to Turkey March 22-23 for the 4th US-Turkey Working Group on Regional Security Issues to discuss ways to further strengthen US-Turkey cooperation on security and counterterrorism, particularly with respect to the crisis in Syria and Coalition effort to defeat Daesh," the release stated.

Blinken plans to discuss bilateral and regional issues with Turkish officials. The working group will include diplomats, but also representatives of the defense and intelligence communities;.

The State Department has said it considers Turkey an essential partner in its efforts to counter terrorism and maintain regional stability.

However, the trip comes just days after the latest suicide bombing attack in Istanbul — the fourth terrorist attack since January — raising questions about Turkey’s internal security.