GOP Senators Confronted Erdogan Over Video, Participants Say

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, VOA news reports.

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.