The Presidents of the United States and Turkey have agreed to try to defuse tensions with Russia in the fight against the Islamic State militant group. Barack Obama and Tayyip Erdogan spoke by telephone yesterday after Turkey had shot down a Russian warplane near its border with Syria.
Officials from both governments said Obama had expressed US and NATO support for Turkey’s right to defend its sovereignty. Both countries have been concerned that Russian air strikes in Syria have not only targeted the Islamic State group but other anti-government forces as well.