Carter will travel to Ankara as part of a weeklong Middle East and Europe trip, according to the Pentagon.
“He is scheduled to meet with Turkish leaders to discuss a range of security challenges in the region including the latest developments in Iraq and Syria” according to a statement. A defense official said Carter would stay in Turkey for a couple of hours.
His visit comes after an agreement reached by Turkey and the U.S. at a meeting between the two allies’ chiefs of general staff in Washington over the weekend. The agreement will pave the way for Turkish warplanes to join an ongoing operation to capture Mosul.
Carter is due to head to the United Arab Emirates and Europe for counter-IS coalition meetings with U.S.-led coalition defense ministers in Paris on Oct. 25.
Meanwhile, Defense Minister Fikri Işık said coalition forces and Turkey had reached a consensus on the Turkish Air Force’s involvement in the Mosul operation. Elaborating on the upcoming defense ministers’ meeting in Paris, Işık said “It’s natural that Turkey will be part of developments and meeting about Mosul.”
“It’s not possible to make a decision on the future of Mosul without Turkey” he said.