Recep Tayyip Erdogan visits Donald Trump, amid much friction between US, Turkey

Erdoğan is also likely to request the release of Reza Zarrab, a Turkish-Iranian businessman, and Mehmet Hakan Atilla, a deputy general manager of the Turkish state-owned Halk Bank, who are both on trial in the us for violating sanctions against Iran. Trump wants to see a quick and decisive military defeat of IS, a goal that makes the Syrian Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) a precious US partner on the ground.

Turkey is accusing Washington of indirectly supporting terrorists, because a Kurdish militia playing a key role in the USA -backed Syrian Democratic Forces is seen by Ankara as an affiliate of Kurdish rebels fighting Ankara.

And when Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan visits the White House on Tuesday, the most he and President Donald Trump may be able to do is agree to disagree, and move on.

President Erdogan is also expected to ask release of Reza Zarrab, the Turkish-Iranian businessman, and Mehmet Hakan Atilla, the deputy general manager of the Turkish state owned Halk Bank, who are both on trial in the USA for violating sanctions on Iran.

"I see this trip as a new milestone in Turkey-U.S. relations", Erdogan said, as he prepared to fly to Washington.

Erdogan will deliver a clear message about the alliance between Washington and the Kurdish militias in Syria, describing it as incompatible with the strategic alliance between Turkey and the United States through North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, sources added. His willingness to partner with authoritarian rulers and overlook their shortcomings on democracy and human rights have alarmed USA lawmakers of both parties.

Cardin said he's hoping there's a "candid conversation" next week between Trump and Erdogan.

Bulent Aliriza, the director of the Turkey Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said Trump's decision makes next week's meeting much less predictable than before. That puts added pressure on him to get results.

Erdogan criticized the move before leaving Turkey, but in a more measured tone than his administration took last week when the news originally came out.

To make matters more complicated, many Americans may see a growing relationship with Erdoğan as support for an authoritarian leader.

"Trump has prioritized protecting US national security interests over lecturing allies on democratic values or human rights", said James Phillips, a senior research fellow for Middle Eastern affairs at the Heritage Foundation.

But Erdogan may not be amenable to accepting the USA military support for the Kurds in a quid pro quo. His government has insisted it may attack Syrian Kurdish fighters again.

This order needs to be assessed in the context that for the better part of two-and-a-half years, U.S. Special Forces have been networking with, training and fighting beside Kurdish SDF in the field.

Barack Aydin of the Washington-based Kurdish Policy Research Center, said the key ought to be a broader peace process between Erdogan's government and Kurdish opponents in Turkey, which would eliminate these problems.

That promises to be a tough challenge after Trump gave the Pentagon authorization to arm Kurdish militias in Syria to help drive ISIS out of Raqqa, a Syrian city which has been under the terror group's control since 2014. Bozdağ presented new evidence supporting the accusation that Gülen was involved in the attempted takeover as the process between Turkish and USA judicial authorities continues in terms of procedure.

The militia had won a string of victories over IS with the US-led coalition's support, including the highly symbolic recapture of the border town of Kobane in January 2015. The response, in a word, is heartening. Some of you have even followed through with subscriptions, which is especially gratifying.

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