WASHINGTON (Reuters) — The White House said Vice President Joe Biden and Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan discussed ways to deepen cooperation in the fight against Islamic State in a meeting on Saturday in Istanbul.

Biden and Erdogan also talked about the “importance of de-escalating recent tensions between Turkey and Iraq in a manner that respects Iraqi sovereignty,” the White House said in a statement released on Sunday.

(Reporting by Ayesha Rascoe; Editing by Sandra Maler)

Photo: U.S. Vice President Joe Biden (L) speaks next to Turkey’s President Tayyip Erdogan during a news conference following their meeting at Beylerbeyi Palace in Istanbul November 22, 2014. REUTERS/Murad Sezer