Yıldırım, Pence talk the bilateral relations at the White House

Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım met U.S. Vice President Mike Pence at the White House on Thursday. The meeting, which is closed to the media, started at 11 a.m. local time (0400 GMT).

The visa row is a top issue among those expected to be expected during the visit between the two countries. The dispute was prompted by the arrest of Turkish staff at U.S. diplomatic missions in Turkey but appears to be moving towards resolution.

The leaders are also expected to address the issue of the PKK-linked Democratic Union Party (PYD) in Syria, which is backed by the U.S. against Daesh despite Ankara naming it a terrorist organization.

The extradition of the leader of the Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ), Fetullah Gülen is also likely to be mentioned, along with economic and military ties, Syrian refugees and instability in Syria and Iraq.

Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, Energy Minister Berat Albayrak, Turkish Ambassador to the U.S. Serdar Kılıç and Justice and Development (AK) Party Deputy Chairman Mehmet Muş were with Yıldırım in the meeting.

Later Thursday, Yıldırım is scheduled to meet U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres and representatives of the Jewish community in New York before addressing investors at a dinner.