Trump, Erdogan pledge stronger ties in first meeting

President Donald Trump met today for the first time with his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, pledging to strengthen ties between the two countries even as they remain divided over Kurdish militias fighting in Syria. Earlier this month U.S. officials announced plans to sell more weapons to the Kurds, who are leading the fight against Islamic State. But Turkey considers them terrorists tied to the PKK, an insurgent group that has launched attacks against military and police targets in Turkey. Trump vowed to help Turkey fight the PKK and said such groups will “have no safe quarter.” Trump didn’t mention the Kurds but said the United States and Turkey share a common goal in ending the conflict in Syria. Critics have decried Trump’s attempts to cozy up to Erdogan, who is viewed by many as a dictator in the process of cementing his grip on power.