Mavi Boncuk |
Trump received widespread criticism at home and abroad for his Oct. 6 decision to order U.S. troops in northern Syria to stand aside from a Turkish military offensive targeting the Kurds. He has since claimed credit for a cease-fire and sought to portray the Kurds as grateful for his intervention.
The president said that he's looking forward to "seeing" Abdi soon, without saying where and how they could meet. Turkey has asked American authorities to arrest and hand over Abdi, if he enters the U.S., under a standing agreement on the extradition of criminals, Justice Minister Abdulhamit Gul told reporters
Abdi's wanted by Turkey for his time with the separatist Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, which has been fighting the Turkish state since 1984 and is labeled a terrorist organization by the U.S. and the European Union.
His real name in Ferhat Sahin Abdi, according to an Interpol red notice that's based on a warrant issued by Turkey. Such notices are considered valid only in some countries, and Interpol cannot demand arrests.
Differences between the U.S. and Turkey over the Syrian Kurds have been a major strain on the bilateral relationship for years. Their six-decade alliance has also been damaged by Washington's refusal to extradite a Turkish cleric whom Erdogan accuses of orchestrating a failed 2016 coup, and the U.S. indictment of Turkish lender Halkbank for its alleged role in a plot to circumvent sanctions against Iran, among other issues.