The US was struggling to put aside misunderstandings between itself and Turkey, after officials in Ankara contradicted a claim by top officials that the two countries had reached a deal to give the Pentagon full use of a key Turkish airbase for strikes against Isis (Islamic State).
The conflicting narratives highlighted the tensions that have grown up between Ankara and Washington over both the rebellion against the regime of Bashar al-Assad in Syria and the subsequent emergence of Isis.
On Monday, US officials said a deal had been reached whereby Turkey would both engage in training several thousand moderate Syrian rebels within its borders and approve the use of Incirlik airbase near the Syrian border for attacks on Isis.
But while it appeared there might be agreement on training rebels, the question of using Incirlik appeared still to be in doubt.
Indeed, the office of Ahmet Davutoglu, the Prime Minister, told Reuters that there was no deal over Incirlik. The "talks, therefore, continue as we look into things we can do together while covering all these aspects", a Turkish official said.
An agreement of the kind US officials had been describing would be pivotal, in part because it would make a statement about Turkey being on board. It would also matter militarily - at present, US missions against Isis are being flown from undisclosed locations in the region.
There are other pressures on Turkey to take a more active role. In particular, there is a growing danger that its fragile, nine-year peace deal with Kurdish insurgents could come undone as Kurdish leaders see on the one hand ethnic Kurds taking the lead in fighting Isis on the ground, particularly defending the Syrian city of Kobane, hard up against the Turkish border, while the Turkish Government declines to order its military to intervene.
- Independent