The United States’ top general spoke with his Turkish counterpart on Wednesday, the US military said, as Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said that Türkiye’s air operations against a Kurdish militia in northern Syria were only the beginning and it would launch a land operation when convenient.

The US military statement did not mention Syria by name, but said US General Mark Milley, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, “discussed several items of mutual strategic interest.”

The statement added that Türkiye was a key NATO ally and “the US values its strategic bilateral relationship.”