The Washington Post: Erdogan’s Meeting With Trump Gets Obscured by White House Chaos

When Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met with US President Donald Trump at the White House, tensions were high, with daily news about Trump’s firing of FBI Director James Comey who had been leading an investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 US presidential election. It was Erdogan’s first visit to the United States since a failed coup against him in July 2016, and it was the first time the leaders spoke since Trump said the United States would arm YPG Kurdish fighters – regarded by Turkey as terrorists – against the Islamic State in Syria. Kurdish fighters have had significant impact as ground troops in countering the Islamic State. Ultimately, the Trump-Erdogan meeting, with no major flare-ups, was regarded a success in light of the entrenched opposition each leader faces in his own country. The two NATO member states remain allies in the fight against ISIS, although they do not agree on the strategy and the United States relies on Turkey less than it once did. The meeting reflected a willingness to cooperate once the two countries find common interests again. – YaleGlobal