Department of State

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry will join troubled nuclear talks in Vienna later Nov. 20, as Tehran showed no sign of softening its position days before a deadline for a deal.

The Iraqi government and the autonomous Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) in the north of the country have reached a deal to ease tensions over Kurdish oil exports and civil service payments from Baghdad, Iraq’s finance minister told Reuters on Nov. 13.

Following a new deadlock in talks between diplomats from Greece and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) over the Balkan state's official name, Washington has said it supports the continuation of United Nations-mediated efforts to resolve the longstanding dispute.

Washington has dismissed Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s remarks suggesting there is a “cacophony” of different views among the United States authorities.

U.S. State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said she did not agree with Erdoğan’s complaint, suggesting that the differences in responses could be “due to the differences in questions.”

Greek and US authorities have agreed to boost their cooperation in international security affairs with the exchange of information regarding individuals entering the European Union via Greece, Public Order Minister Vassilis Kikilias told reporters on Monday, after briefing Prime Minister Antonis Samaras on a visit to the US where he met with officials from the FBI, CIA and National Security Age

Although Turkey’s view of the battle over the Syrian border town of Kobane is extremely clear, it is not possible to say the same for U.S. officials in Washington, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has maintained, as he portrayed the U.S. capital city in cacophony of contradicting statements on Kobane.

A different voice is coming from every U.S. administrative unit. Spokespersons from the White House, Pentagon, Department of State and National Security Council are all speaking differently.

As Turkey fuels fears in the eastern Mediterranean by insisting on maintaining the seismic survey vessel Barbaros off the southern coast of Cyprus, Washington has expressed its concern over renewed tensions in the region and has underlined its support for Nicosia’s sovereignty and right to develop resources in its exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

Washington has welcomed the deployment of Peshmerga fighters in the Syrian Kurdish town of Kobane on Oct. 29 after a long period of negotiations between Turkey, the Kurdistan Regional Government in northern Iraq and the Democratic Union Party (PYD).

Packets of an unidentified yellow powder were sent to five Western consulates in Istanbul on Oct. 24, officials said, prompting security alerts following two militant attacks in Canada this week.