Trump Praises Erdogan for ‘High Marks’ Amid Crackdown Concerns
- U.S president met with Erdogan on sidelines of UN Assembly
- Trump says Turkey, U.S. closer than ‘we’ve ever been’
Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and U.S. President Donald Trump shake hands before a meeting at the Palace Hotel during the 72nd United Nations General Assembly on Sept. 21, 2017.
Photographer: Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty ImagesThis article is for subscribers only.
U.S. President Donald Trump heaped praise on Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan Thursday, comments that came amid international condemnation of Erdogan’s crackdown on political dissent and just months after Turkish security officials beat up protesters during a visit to the U.S.
Trump said it was “a great honor” to host Erdogan Thursday for a meeting on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. He said that the Turkish president "is becoming a friend of mine" and that “he is running a very difficult part of the world.”