Readout of President Obama’s Call with Prime Minister Erdogan of Turkey

President Obama spoke by phone yesterday with Prime Minister Erdogan of Turkey.  The President and Prime Minister discussed developments in Syria, including the regime’s use of chemical weapons against its own people, our shared commitment to pursuing a political solution, the need to provide additional support to the Syrian Coalition and the Supreme Military Council to improve their effectiveness, and the importance of close bilateral cooperation on contingency planning and counterterrorism efforts.  The Prime Minister also described the situation in Turkey.  The two leaders discussed the importance of nonviolence and of the rights to free expression and assembly and a free press.