Turkish army commandos climb up the snow-capped summit of a mountain near the southeastern Turkish town of Sirnak, bordering northern Iraq, February 24, 2008. REUTERS/Fatih Saribas

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama urged Turkey’s President Tayyip Erdogan in a phone call on Friday to “deescalate tensions” with Iraq by continuing to withdraw Turkish forces from northern Iraq, the White House said in a statement.

The leaders also discussed the fight against Islamic State militants in Syria including efforts to support the moderate opposition in the war-torn nation, the White House said.