US Secretary of State John Kerry has arrived in Istanbul for talks with Turkish leaders. It's part of a wider trip through Western Europe and Asia to consult with allies on issues including the Syrian civil war.

Kerry will press Turkey to quickly normalize relations with Israel, keep its border with Syria open to refugees and improve ties with Iraq. Kerry arrived in Istanbul some two weeks after US President Barack Obama brokered a rapprochement between Turkey and Israel.

US Secretary of State John Kerry has arrived in Istanbul for talks with Turkish leaders.

Relations between the two countries were shattered by the killing of nine Turkish citizens in a 2010 naval raid on a Gaza-bound flotilla. The rapprochement between the two US allies could help regional coordination to contain spillover from the Syrian civil war.

The deal could also ease Israel's diplomatic isolation in the Middle East as it faces challenges posed by Iran's nuclear program.

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