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U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry arrives at Ankara International Airport, Turkey, Friday, Sept. 12, 2014.BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/The Associated Press

Secretary of State John Kerry arrived in Ankara today as he continues U.S. efforts to rally a coalition of nations to fight Islamic State militants in Iraq and Syria.

Turkey, a transit route for foreign fighters seeking to join the extremist movement and for oil smuggled from territory it controls, is seen by U.S. officials as a key element of the Obama administration's plan to counter Islamic State because of its ability to squeeze the radical Islamist group's access to manpower and revenue.

Turkey's involvement in U.S.-led plans to oppose Islamic State is complicated by the 49 Turkish hostages it seized at the nation's consulate in the Iraqi city of Mosul. That limits at least what the government will say publicly, and yesterday Turkey declined to join an anti-Islamic State declaration agreed by U.S. and regional nations following talks in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Kerry, in a BBC interview yesterday in Jeddah, said the U.S. understands the constraints on Turkey's public posture.

Turkey is "very engaged and very involved," Kerry said "But I think for the moment, they have a few sensitive issues. We respect those sensitive issues and we're going to work with them very carefully."

Kerry is seeking support among Sunni Muslim nations alarmed by Islamic State's emergence as the most powerful force among Syrian rebels fighting President Bashar al-Assad and its rapid advances in Iraq. Saudi Arabia and other regional leaders are signaling they see the militants as a threat to their interests and are ready to act with the U.S. against them.

The top U.S. diplomat is scheduled to hold his first meetings with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu since they assumed their new positions, as well as have talks with Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu. Consistent with their concerns, Turkish officials have asked there be no photo or video of Kerry meeting the president and prime minister.

Turkey is a key participant in the efforts to thwart Islamic State, said a U.S. official, who requested not to be quoted by name under State Department practices. Turkish officials have told the U.S. that they are taking steps to crack down on activities that benefit the group, the official said. Underscoring Ankara's critical role, U.S. Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel visited earlier this week.

Turkish authorities said in recent months they have denied entry to about 6,000 men suspected of planning to transit Turkey to fight in Syria and Iraq, the U.S. official said. The country says it has deported more than 1,000 men suspected of being foreign fighters, or their facilitators, and is taking steps to curtail oil smuggling, according to the official.

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