U.S. vice president calls Turkish premier

WASHINGTON (A.A) - The White House has said that in a phone conversation between U.S. Vice President Joe Biden and Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, regional issues had been discussed. A statement by the White House said Thursday that Biden and Erdogan discussed regional issues, including political developments in Iraq, by telephone. "Following up on their conversation during the Vice President's trip to Turkey in December, the two leaders agreed on the need to advance security, support the rule of law and encourage democracy in the region. They agreed that our two governments would remain in regular contact on these issues," it said.