Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has refused to meet with United States National Security Advisor John Bolton.
The Associated Press reports National Security Council spokesman Garrett Marquis said US officials were told Erdoğan cited the local election season and a previously-scheduled speech to parliament for not meeting with Bolton. In the speech, Erdoğan said he opposed the Americans' demand to protect Kurds in Syria after the withdrawal of US troops, repeating his government’s position that they are a terrorist group.