President Erdoğan speaks with UK’s May

ANKARA – Anadolu Agency

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and British Prime Minister Theresa May held a phone conversation late on May 9, according to presidential sources.      

The leaders discussed the efforts for peace on Syria and the Cyprus unification process, as well as EU matters and bilateral ties, said the sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on speaking to the media.      

Erdoğan and May emphasized the importance of moving bilateral relations further in each area, the sources added.      

A Downing Street statement said May spoke to Erdoğan “to express her wish to deepen cooperation on a range of issues,” underlining “the importance of our strong security partnership.”

May welcomed Turkey’s “constructive role in helping to establish de-escalation zones” through the Astana talks.      
The two leaders “reaffirmed their desire to explore the opportunities presented by Brexit,” the statement added, with a particular nod on cooperation for Turkey’s domestic fighter jet project.      

May and Erdoğan will meet at the NATO summit in Brussels later in May.