Readout of Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism Lisa O. Monaco’s Meeting with Chief of Turkish National Intelligence Organization Dr. Hakan Fidan

Today, Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism Lisa O. Monaco met with Dr. Hakan Fidan, Chief of the Turkish National Intelligence Organization, to discuss ways to deepen already close counterterrorism cooperation and to further integrate Turkey’s unique capabilities into the international coalition against ISIL. With respect to ISIL, Ms. Monaco expressed appreciation for Turkey’s support to ongoing U.S. military operations in Iraq and Syria and underscored the importance of accelerating Turkish assistance as part of the comprehensive strategy to degrade and ultimately destroy ISIL. Ms. Monaco emphasized the need to more quickly build the capacity of Iraqi security forces as well as the moderate Syrian opposition, and to take further steps to strengthen border security and disrupt the movement of foreign terrorist fighters to and from Syria. The two also reviewed the shared threat posed by al-Qa’ida veterans in Syria and agreed to continue to consult closely on security and intelligence matters going forward.