Turkey's Erdogan and Lindsey Graham reportedly had a spat over Syria's Kurds in the Oval Office

Trump mediates fight between Turkey's Erdogan and Lindsey Graham
(Image credit: Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images)

President Trump and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had a cordial meeting on Wednesday, with Trump going out of his way to say he's a "big fan" of Erdogan and the two are "very good friends." But there was no evident progress on the big issues dividing the NATO allies: Turkey's assault on America's Kurdish allies in Syria and its purchase of Russian S-400 missile defense systems, and America's refusal to extradite a Muslim cleric Erdogan accuses of fomenting revolt.

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Peter Weber, The Week US

Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.