Tillerson terms US-Turkey relations as 'crisis point'

The US secretary of state has acknowledged that his country's relationship with Turkey is "at a bit of a crisis point".

At a joint press conference in Ankara on Friday, Rex Tillerson said the US-Turkey alliance "is too valuable" for the two countries not to take action together, particularly on their dispute over the US' support of the armed Syrian Kurdish YPG.

"Ours is not an alliance of convenience or of temporary interest. It is a time-tested alliance built on common interest and mutual respect," Tillerson said.

"Our two countries share the same objectives in Syria."

Standing next to Tillerson, Cavusoglu said Turkey's relationship with the US "is at a critical stage", and the two allies need to decide whether "to mend fences, or go in a different direction".

Cavusoglu said "some of the promises" the US made "were not kept", alluding to Turkey's demand that the US-backed YPG leave the Syrian town of Manbij and move east of Euphrates River.

As part of the effort to mend US-Turkish relations, Cavusoglu announced that the two countries have agreed to establish a "joint mechanism" to deal with disputes and to take "collective response".

But neither Cavusoglu nor Tillerson provided details about the plan, according to Al Jazeera.