Turkish deputy foreign minister speaks with US counterpart

Turkey’s deputy foreign minister held a phone call with the US deputy secretary of state, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said on Friday.

During the call, Sedat Onal and Wendy Sherman discussed security conditions in Afghanistan, the ministry said.

With rapid gains in recent days, the Taliban have now taken control of 15 of Afghanistan’s 34 provincial capitals, sources confirmed on Friday.

Following days of heavy clashes, the insurgents captured Kandahar and Herat, Afghanistan’s second- and third-largest cities on Thursday, and advanced on three more provincial capitals by early Friday.

Sherman also expressed US condolences and solidarity in the fight against wildfires in Turkey, the ministry said.