Tillerson, Mattis work to mend America’s relationship with Turkey

ANKARA,Turkey — Secretary of State Rex Tillerson met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for more than three hours Thursday night, trying to mend a relationship rubbed raw over hot-button issues.

Returning to his Ankara hotel after 11 p.m., Mr. Tillerson declined to discuss the meeting when reporters waiting in the lobby asked him to talk briefly about it.

“Not tonight — we’re still working,” he replied.

At the same time in Brussels, U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said the United States and Turkey are having an open dialogue about their growing differences over the fight in Syria, and are “finding common ground.”

Relations between the two countries were already tense, with Turkey accusing the United States of helping stage an attempted coup and detaining Turks who work for the U.S. embassy and consulates.

But the relationship has taken a nose-dive since Turkish forces went on an offensive against a U.S.backed Kurdish militia fighters in the Syrian town of Afrin that the Turks consider terrorists. Mr. Tillerson has made numerous conciliatory statements throughout his weeklong trip to the Middle East, expressing understanding for their concerns.

Turkish officials responded with pugnacious retorts over what Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu warned is a make-orbreak moment in the U.S.Turkey relationship. Mr. Erdogan kept up the tough rhetoric, threatening an “Ottoman slap” if U.S. troops interfered in Turkey’s moves against the SyrianKurdish fighters.

Elsewhere, speaking at the close of a NATO defense ministers meeting, Mr. Mattis presented a more calm view of the escalating rhetoric over America’s continued aid to the U.S.-backed Kurdish rebels in Syria.

“I believe we are finding common ground, and there are areas of uncommon ground where sometimes war just gives you bad alternatives to choose from,” Mr. Mattis said.

Turkish Defense Minister Nurettin Canikli said he has asked that the U.S. end its support for the Kurdish fighters and remove them from a U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces, or SDF, that is fighting the Islamic State group in Syria.

Mr. Canikli said he told Mr. Mattis that U.S. support for the Syrian Kurdish militia, known as YPG, has helped Kurdish rebels in Turkey “to grow and strengthen,” posing an increasingly “existential” threat to Turkey.

Mr. Canikli said Mr. Mattis told him that the United States believed it was possible to ensure that the YPG turns against Kurdish rebels fighting in Turkey. The Turkish minister also said that Mr. Mattis told him that the U.S. was working on plans to take back weapons supplied to the YPG.

Earlier Thursday, Mr. Tillerson was in Beirut, urging Lebanon to distance itself from the Hezbollah militia as he met with political allies of the group.

“Hezbollah’s presence in Syria has only perpetuated the bloodshed, increased the displacement of innocent people and propped up the barbaric Assad regime,” Mr. Tillerson said in a news conference with Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri, whose coalition government includes the group.