A band of GOP senators rebuffed Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's effort to depict anti-Islamic State Kurd forces as terrorists in a contentious Oval Office meeting, as the White House allies took a far harder line against Erdogan than did President Donald Trump.
Participants said Erdogan played a propaganda video for Republican senators attending Wednesday's meeting, drawing a rebuke from Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham and others.
Graham said Thursday that he asked Erdogan, “do you want me to get the Kurds to play a video about what your forces have done?”
The lawmakers also told Erdogan that he is risking economic sanctions by going ahead with a new Russian anti-aircraft missile system.
The exchange behind the scenes was far more confrontational than the reception Trump gave Erdogan in public.
GOP Senators Confronted Erdogan Over Video, Participants Say
Protesters rally against the Washington visit of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan outside the White House, Nov. 13, 2019, in Washington.