Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (R) meets with visiting U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in Ankara, Turkey, Oct. 17, 2018, amid the disappearance of a Saudi journalist attracting worldwide concern. (Xinhua/Turkish Presidential Palace)
ANKARA, Oct. 17 (Xinhua) -- Turkish and U.S. top diplomats met over the issues of the missing Saudi journalist and Syria's Manbij, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Wednesday.
"It was a fruitful discussion. We have exchanged views on many issues including the fight against outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK)," Cavusoglu told reporters after meeting with visiting U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.
Pompeo briefed Turkish officials about his meetings in Riyadh on the disappearance of the Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, the minister said.
Turkey hopes to enter the Saudi consul's residence in Istanbul on Wednesday, he added.
Khashoggi went missing on Oct. 2 after entering the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. Turkish and Saudi officials have set up a joint team to investigate the case.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan also met with Pompeo on Wednesday.
Erdogan told Pompeo that Turkey could easily clear Syria's Manbij of the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) fighters if the United States fails to do so, according to Cavusoglu.
Turkey assumes the YPG as the Syrian branch of the PKK.
"We have a consensus that there is no room for sanctions any more in our bilateral relations," the Turkish minister said, referring to recent tension between Ankara and Washington over Turkey's detention of a U.S. pastor which led to U.S. sanctions on Turkey.
Last week, a Turkish court released the U.S. pastor Andrew Brunson after more than one and a half year of detention.
Earlier in the day, Pompeo arrived in Ankara after a visit to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia's capital, where he met with Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman over the case of the missing journalist Khashoggi.
