US - CIA chief Mike Pompeo to visit Ankara as Washington aims to improve ties
Subscribe to France 24 now: http://f24.my/youtubeEN FRANCE 24 live news stream: all the latest news 24/7 http://f24.my/YTliveEN [[INTRO]] The new CIA director Mike Pompeo is due to arrive in Turkey to discuss security issues. The visit comes as the Trump administration looks towards improving ties with Ankara, which were strained in recent years especially after a failed coup attempt in Turkey last July. Ankara has been demanding the extradition of exiled cleric Fatullah Gulen whom it accuses of orchestrating the putsch. It also wants the US to stop supporting Kurdish militants fighting the Islamic State group in Syria. Yuka Royer. [[SCRIPT]] On his first foreign trip as US intelligence chief, Mike Pompeo heads to Turkey - an important strategic ally and a key NATO member. When Trump waz elected last november , President Erdogan voiced hope for improving ties. SOT Erdogan 21 November "Every country needs a strong leader in order to progress. We agreed that there's a lot to be done with regard to Turkey-US relations." Relations between the two countries hit an all-time low during the Obama administration, with Washington criticizing President Erdogan's deepening crackdown on free speech and dissent. A failed coup last July further strained the ties. The Turkish authorities got frustrated over the US's slow response to its demand to extradite Fatullah Gulen. The Pennsylvania-based cleric is accused by Ankara of orchestrating the putsch. Trump's national security advisor Michael Flynn has said the US should extradite Gulen. The other, more pressing issue at stake is the fight against the Islamic State group. Ankara has been urging the US to stop supporting Kurdish fighters in Syria. Something the Obama administration resisted, as the Kurdish YPG and Peshmerga proved to be among the most effective forces against the jihadists. The new US government has not made clear its strategy on the issue, but in a phone call earlier this week, Trump and Erdogan agreed to take joint action against the IS group in al-Bab and Raqqa. Pompeo's visit comes as Turkish-backed Syrian rebels captured the outskirts of Al-Bab. [[SUR-TITLE]] US Turkey [[TITLE]] CIA chief to visit Ankara as Washington aims to improve ties [[AUTHOR]] Yuka Royer Visit our website: http://www.france24.com Subscribe to our YouTube channel: http://f24.my/youtubeEN Like us on Facebook: / france24.english Follow us on Twitter: / france24_en
