Turkey's Erdogan and Lindsey Graham reportedly had a spat over Syria's Kurds in the Oval Office
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.
Trump invited five Republican senators critical of Turkey to his Oval Office meeting with Erdogan, and things "took a dark turn when Erdogan pulled out his iPad and made the group watch a propaganda video that depicted Kurds as terrorists," Axios reports, citing three people familiar with the meeting. "Erdogan apparently thought he could sway these senators by forcing them to watch a clunky propaganda film. The senators in the meeting took turns pushing back on Erdogan, while Trump sat back and watched, intervening occasionally to play traffic cop."
All of the GOP senators were upset about the S-400, but Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) "got into a heated back-and-forth" with Erdogan over the Syrian Kurds, Axios reports. After Erdogan's film finished, Graham asked him: "Well, do you want me to go get the Kurds to make one about what you've done?" Graham told Axios late Wednesday that he had informed Erdogan "that 10,000 SDF fighters, mostly Kurds, suffered, died, or injured in the fight against ISIS, and America will not forget that and will not abandon them."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Graham also made a wry comment when Trump told Erdogan to pick a "friendly reporter" at their joint press conference.
If Turkey's jailing and censorship of journalists were a joke, that would be funny.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
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.
-
3 tips to lower your household bills
The Explainer Prices on everything from eggs to auto insurance to rent have increased — but there are ways to make your bills more manageable
By Becca Stanek, The Week US Published
-
Crossword: November 11, 2024
The Week's daily crossword
By The Week Staff Published
-
Sudoku hard: November 11, 2024
The Week's daily hard sudoku puzzle
By The Week Staff Published
-
British warship repels 'largest Houthi attack to date' in the Red Sea
Speed read Western allies warn of military response to Iranian-backed Yemeni rebels if attacks on ships continue
By Richard Windsor, The Week UK Published
-
Houthi rebels claim Red Sea ship attacks
speed read Iran-backed Yemeni group vows to escalate aggression towards Israel-linked vessels in revenge for Gaza war
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Israel plans next phase of Gaza war as first hostages released
Speed read After four-day ceasefire 'we will not stop' until destruction of Hamas, says Israel
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Mob storms Russian airport 'looking for Jews'
Speed Read Plane from Israel surrounded by rioters chanting antisemitic slogans after landing in Russia's Dagestan region
By The Week UK Published
-
Tuberville's military promotions block is upending lives, combat readiness, 3 military branch chiefs say
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
Ukraine's counteroffensive is making incremental gains. Does it matter in the broader war?
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
US commissions first-ever Navy ship in a foreign port
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
British spy chief, Wagner video suggest Prigozhin is alive and freely 'floating around'
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published