In Turkey, NATO chief to meet president, top diplomat

ANKARA The visit by NATO’s chief to Turkey will include meetings with the president and foreign minister, Turkey's Foreign Ministry said on Thursday. Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg will visit Turkey on Friday in order to have an exchange of views on a number of issues on the alliance’s agenda. A ministry statement said that Stoltenberg will have a bilateral meeting with Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu and will also be received by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Stoltenberg’s visit was scheduled before Turkey’s current counter-terrorist operation in northeastern Syria. Turkey on Wednesday announced the launch of Operation Peace Spring east of the Euphrates River in northern Syria to secure its borders by eliminating terror elements and to ensure the safe return of Syrian refugees and Syria’s territorial integrity. A previous statement by NATO said Stoltenberg would travel to Rome on Wednesday, to Athens on Thursday, and would be in Istanbul on Friday.