On December 7, 2018, the Turkish-U.S. High-Level Working Group on Syria met for the third time, in Ankara.

High level officials from Turkey’s Ministries of Foreign Affairs and National Defense and from the U.S. Departments of State and Defense convened to continue to discuss the promotion of stability and security in Syria.

Both sides affirmed their commitment to Syria’s sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity and underscored the importance of sustained and irreversible progress on a political solution to the Syrian conflict consistent with UNSCR 2254.

They reiterated their shared commitment to provide humanitarian assistance to Syrians in need and acknowledged substantial efforts by both governments in this regard.

Both sides reaffirmed their resolve to fight terrorism in all its forms and manifestations originating from within Syria and beyond.

They committed to accelerated and concrete progress on the Manbij Roadmap by the end of the year.

They agreed to continue to work on joint planning with regard to other areas as mentioned in the Manbij Roadmap.

Turkey and the United States share a commitment to address effectively the security concerns of both countries consistent with their obligations to one another as Allies, and look forward to continued progress on issues of mutual interest regarding the ongoing crisis in Syria.

For this purpose, both sides agreed to increase the frequency of Working Group meetings on Syria.

They decided to convene the next High-Level Working Group on Syria meeting in Washington, D.C. no later than February 2019.