Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (R) shakes hands with U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson in Ankara, Turkey, on March 30, 2017. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met with visiting U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson in capital Ankara on Thursday, urging U.S. to work with "legitimate actors" in fighting against the Islamic State (IS). (Xinhua/Mustafa Kaya)
ANKARA, March 30 (Xinhua) -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met visiting U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson in capital Ankara on Thursday, urging U.S. to work with "legitimate actors" in fighting against the Islamic State (IS).
Erdogan stated the need to intensify the anti-terror fight in Syria, but underscored the importance of working with "legitimate actors" in fighting terrorism, local Hurriyet reported.
During the closed-door meeting at the presidential complex, Turkish president addressed the extradition of the U.S. -based preacher Fetullah Gulen, who is accused of orchestrating the July 15 coup plot by Ankara.
Both sides reiterated their determination to fight terrorism and vowed to strengthen joint efforts for the region's stability and peace.
Earlier on Thursday, Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim and Tillerson discussed ongoing fight against IS in Syria and Iraq, as well as Gulen's extradition.
Earlier this week, senior State Department officials said Tillerson would devote a part of his visit to Turkey to discuss the campaign to seize IS' self-proclaimed capital, Raqqah, in northern Syria.
