Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had a heated discussion with Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., during an Oval Office meeting Wednesday at which he forced attendees — President Donald Trump included — to watch a propaganda video that portrayed Kurds as terrorists.
Axios reported that the meeting got tense at times when Graham confronted Erdogan about Turkey's "invasion" of northern Syria that was occupied by Kurdish forces. The U.S. is aligned with the Kurds, but Turkey sees them as a terror group.
According to Axios, Graham asked Erdogan after the video ended, "Well, do you want me to go get the Kurds to make one about what you've done?"
Erdogan took issue with Graham calling Turkey's recent actions in Syria an "invasion," according to the report.
Graham told Axios later Wednesday, "The Turkish narrative that they have done more to destroy ISIS, I rejected forcefully, and I let Turkey know that 10,000 SDF fighters, mostly Kurds, suffered, died or injured, in the fight against ISIS, and America will not forget that and will not abandon them."
Five Republican senators attended the meeting. According to Axios, Trump mostly let the debate between the lawmakers and Erdogan play out.
Last month, Trump said the Pentagon would withdraw U.S. forces from northern Syria due to Turkey's impending military action in the area. Lawmakers from both sides of the aisle pushed back, saying the Kurds, who helped the U.S. fight the Islamic State (ISIS), would be left to fend for themselves in battles with Turkish forces.
A temporary cease-fire was soon reached between the U.S. and Turkey, which allowed the Kurds to leave the area.
Trump eventually changed his mind, at least partially, by returning some American forces to help guard oil fields.
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