Turkish president visits the White House

President Donald Trump and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan are meeting on Wednesday for the first time since Turkey launched its military offensive in northern Syria last month. The leaders are expected to discuss Turkey’s move to purchase a Russian air defense system.

How is Washington welcoming Erdogan? Several U.S. lawmakers criticized the visit due to Turkey’s record of human rights abuses. Trump moved toward warmer relations with the country after he announced the withdrawal of U.S. troops from northern Syria last month. Turkey quickly moved forward with an incursion against Syrian Kurds, who helped in the defeat of Islamic State (ISIS). An October report from Amnesty International documented possible war crimes committed by Turkey and its allies in Syria.

Dig deeper: Read Mindy Belz’s report on how the U.S. withdrawal from the region allowed Turkish forces to target civilians.