White House kicks off global nuke summit

By Esra Kaymak Avci

WASHINGTON

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was among more than 50 world leaders at a dinner Thursday that kicked off a nuclear summit at the White House.

Including on the guest list was French President Francois Hollande, EU policy chief Federica Mogherini, EU President Donald Tusk and International Atomic Energy Agency head Yukiya Amano.

Erdogan and U.S. President Barack Obama met for about 50 minutes following the dinner, according to Turkish presidential sources who did not release details about the talks.

But prior to the dinner, Obama held a trilateral meeting with the leaders of South Korea and Japan.

Obama also met with his Chinese counterpart that focused on North Korea's recent nuclear tests, according to the White House.

All sides are committed to unite efforts "to deter and defend against North Korean provocations," Obama said.

Earlier this year, North Korea announced it had tested a nuclear device. Shortly afterward, it also launched a long-range rocket that alarmed its regional neighbors and the U.S.

This year's Nuclear Security Summit is the fourth and final in a series of meetings that Obama began in 2010, according to the official website.

World leaders and international organizations have gathered to discuss and make new commitments to reducing the threat of nuclear terrorism.