Erdoğan meets NATO's Stoltenberg in Ankara

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan met Jens Stoltenberg, the 13th Secretary General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) at the Presidential Complex in the Turkish capital, Ankara. The meeting is closed to the media.

Before meeting with Erdoğan , Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu and Stoltenberg also met and agreed on the importance of cooperation over the migrant crisis.

During the press conference held after the meeting, Çavuşoğlu said that cooperation was necessary between NATO allies for the solution of the ongoing migrant crisis strikes Europe.

Stoltenberg also emphasized the crucial role of Turkey in stopping human trafficking and illegal migration to Europe.

He added that with assistance from NATO, Turkey is breaking the business model of human traffickers, and the number of illegal crossings has significantly decreased.

Turkey struck a deal with the EU in November to stop migrants from traveling to Europe in return for 3 billion euro in cash, a deal on visa-free travel for Turkish citizens and renewed talks on joining the 28-nation bloc

Turkey is currently hosting the world's largest refugee population, amid the greatest global movement of refugees ever recorded.

More than 3 million Syrians have sought refuge in Turkey from civil war in their country, now in its sixth year.