Trump talks with Turkish president
President Trump spoke with Turkish President Tayyip Erdoğan on Tuesday, reaffirming support for Turkey as “a strategic partner and NATO ally,” according to the White House.
The White House said the two spoke about “the close, long-standing relationship” between the two countries “and their shared commitment to combatting terrorism in all its forms.”
{mosads}According to a readout of the call, Trump told Erdoğan that the U.S. “welcomed Turkey’s contributions” in the fight against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS).
The U.S. has increasingly partnered with Turkey in Syria, though relations had been strained since July after Turkey suffered a military coup it blamed on a Muslim cleric living in the U.S.
Trump, who during the campaign called NATO obsolete, spoke with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on Sunday and is slated to join a meeting of NATO leaders in May in Europe.
On Tuesday, Trump “emphasized the importance of all NATO allies sharing the burden of defense spending” during a call with Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, according to the White House.
Updated: 8:33 p.m.
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