U.S. vice president, Turkish prime minister discuss Iraq tensions in call

Turkey's Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu (R) and U.S. Vice President Joe Biden arrive at their meeting in Istanbul November 21, 2014. REUTERS/Murad Sezer

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Vice President Joe Biden spoke to Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu on Thursday about the fight against Islamic State and tensions between Turkey and Iraq, the White House said in a statement. "The leaders ... discussed ongoing developments in Iraq, emphasizing the importance of defusing recent tensions between Turkey and the Government of Iraq in a manner that respects Iraqi sovereignty and fully coordinates counter-ISIL efforts with the Coalition," it said, referring to Islamic State with an acronym. (Reporting by Jeff Mason and Roberta Ramtpon; Editing by Eric Beech)