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U.S. President Donald Trump reiterated support for Turkey "as a strategic partner and NATO ally" during a phone call with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday, the offices of both leaders said according to the Reuters.

Trump also spoke about the two countries' "shared commitment to combating terrorism in all its forms" and welcomed Turkey's contributions to the fight against ISIS, the White House said in a statement.

The two leaders emphasized that Turkey and the United States were friends and allies, a statement from Erdogan's office said.

A NATO member which borders Syria, Iraq and Iran, Turkey is a key player in the region but Erdogan's relations with former U.S. President Barack Obama, as well as with Western Europe, have at times been strained. The Turkish leader remains a key sponsor of takfiris in Syria.

Turkey has been frustrated by what it sees as Washington's reluctance to hand over Turkish cleric Fethullah Gulen, whom it accuses of masterminding an abortive putsch four months ago.

The two NATO allies are also at odds over U.S. support for the Syrian YPG militia, which Ankara regards as a terrorist organization. Erdogan affiliated Turkish lecturer, Harun Yahya wrote an article on September criticizing the policies of Obama's administration against Turkey. Yahya wrote: "The support the US provides to the terrorist organization PKK, which is responsible for the death of 40 thousand of our fellow citizens in the last 30 years, and its Syrian branch, the PYD is indeed perplexing."

There was no specific mention of key sticking points in both readouts.

*(Image Credit: Karl-Ludwig Poggemann/ flickr).