U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry held talks with Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu after arriving in Istanbul early on Sunday as part of his third trip to the Middle East in one month.

A senior U.S. official said Kerry would further encourage Turkey to improve ties with Iraq in his talks with Davutoglu.

He will also stress the importance for Turkey to keep its border open to Syrian refugees," the official told reporters on Sunday, revealing Turkish authorities had deported hundreds of Syrians following unrest at a border camp, an allegation denied earlier by the Turkish side.

Kerry is also expected to meet with Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan Sunday afternoon.

Istanbul is the first leg of Kerry's multi-nation tour in the region. After Istanbul, the top U.S. diplomat will head to Jerusalem to meet with both Israeli and Palestinian leaders. Endi

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