National Security Council convenes

The National Security Council (NSC) held its monthly meeting on Tuesday under the chairmanship of President Abdullah Gul at the Cankaya Presidential Palace with the participation of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Chief of General Staff Gen. Necdet Ozel and top civilian and military officials. In a statement released after the meeting, the council said future counter-terrorism measures were discussed, highlighting the importance of cooperation with other countries and international organizations. The statement said the Syria crisis and Turkey's efforts to shelter nearly 180,000 Syrian refugees as well as latest developments in Iraq were also discussed and the latest situation in the Middle East and North Africa were also evaluated during the meeting. "While our fight against terrorism continues with determination, [the council] has discussed measures that could be taken to ensure our people's security and peace," the statement indicated.