Erdoğan Has a Long List of Asks for Trump Visit

The article discusses Turkish President Erdogan's upcoming visit to the United States and his list of demands for the meeting with President Trump. Erdogan is seeking U.S. support for Turkey's military operations in Syria, particularly against Kurdish forces. He also wants the U.S. to extradite the Islamic cleric Fethullah Gulen, whom Erdogan blames for a failed coup attempt in 2016. Additionally, Erdogan is pressing the U.S. to ease sanctions on Iran and lift a ban on the sale of F-35 fighter jets to Turkey. The article notes that Erdogan's requests reflect his growing authoritarianism and desire to assert Turkey's regional influence. However, the U.S. is likely to be cautious in granting Erdogan's demands, given concerns about Turkey's human rights record and its increasingly close ties with Russia. The meeting between the two leaders is seen as a crucial test of the U.S.-Turkey relationship, which has been strained in recent years.