Tillerson discusses non-immigrant visa crisis with Turkish foreign minister

Ankara, Oct 12 : US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu have discussed "mutual visa suspension issue" over phone.

The phone talk on Wednesday marks the first time between the two top diplomats spoke since the visa crisis started last Sunday, Xinhua reported citing Anadolu Agency.

The report cited a Turkish foreign ministry source but no more details have been released yet.

Earlier the same day, Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim expressed hopes to normalize the strained Turkey-US relation very soon.

The strained relations between the two NATO allies escalated last week after Turkey arrested a Turkish employee of the US consulate on suspicion of links to US-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen, who is accused by Ankara of being behind a failed coup attempt in July 2016.

The US Embassy in Ankara on October 8 announced it had suspended non-immigrant visa services at all diplomatic facilities in Turkey, as response, Turkey's Washington Embassy also suspended non-immigrant visa services in the US, citing security concerns.