Congress opposed Turkish President Erdogan’s visit to the White House, on a bipartisan basis.  Erdogan recently directed an assault on one of our most effective and reliable partners in the region — the Syrian Kurds.  The last time Erdogan visited, his henchmen beat United States citizens outside the Turkish embassy.

So why is Erdogan here at all? Because Trump <3 Erdogan. Trump has given Erdogan everything he wants: a buffer zone deep into Syria, de facto control over gormer Kurdish lands, and relief from existing and future sanctions. Read on for all the ways Trump has totally capitulated to this brutal dictator.

Trump praised Erdogan for doing “the right thing” as Turkey reportedly continued shelling civilian areas and allegedly used chemical weapons.

Trump: “I just want to thank and congratulate, though, President Erdogan. He’s a friend of mine and I’m glad we didn’t have a problem because frankly, he’s a hell of a leader. And he’s a tough man. He’s a strong man. And he did the right thing and I really appreciate it and I will appreciate it in the future.”

Reuters: “The Kurdish-led SDF militia on Friday accused Turkey of shelling civilian areas in violating a five-day pause to an offensive in northeast Syria.”

CBS News: “Turkish-backed forces have been accused by Kurdish leaders of using white phosphorus against Kurdish civilians. The incendiary material is banned by international chemical weapons conventions for use against civilians.”

Trump congratulated Turkish President Erdogan on a referendum vote seizing new powers, which was widely condemned by Western nations.

The Guardian: “Donald Trump called to congratulate Recep Tayyip Erdoğan hours after the Turkish president claimed a narrow victory in a contested referendum that will grant him sweeping new powers.  Trump’s call came as the Turkish government announced late on Monday night that it would be extending the state of emergency in the country by three more months. International observers monitoring the Turkish referendum concluded in a preliminary report on Monday that the campaign and vote took place in a political environment where the ‘fundamental freedoms essential to a genuinely democratic process were curtailed’.”

CNN: “The Turkish government has been widely condemned by Western nations for its repression of opposition figures following a failed military coup last year. A senior official with the Trump administration said the President did not raise any concerns about the referendum with Erdogan, describing that part of the phone call as a ‘simple congrats.’”

Trump praised Turkish President Erdogan for squashing an attempted coup, which Erdogan used to purge political opponents.

New York Times: “Mr. Trump had nothing but praise for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the country’s increasingly authoritarian but democratically elected leader. ‘I give great credit to him for being able to turn that around,’ Mr. Trump said of the coup attempt on Friday night. ‘Some people say that it was staged, you know that,’ he said. ‘I don’t think so.’ Asked if Mr. Erdogan was exploiting the coup attempt to purge his political enemies, Mr. Trump did not call for the Turkish leader to observe the rule of law, or Western standards of justice.”

Trump said America had no right to lecture Turkey’s Erdogan on civil rights.

Trump: “When the world sees how bad the United States is and we start talking about civil liberties, I don’t think we are a very good messenger.”

Trump: “Look at what is happening in our country… how are we going to lecture when people are shooting policemen in cold blood?”

Trump: “I don’t think we have a right to lecture.”

Trump reportedly called Erdogan to apologize after Erdogan’s security beat up peaceful protesters in Washington, D.C.

The Guardian: “After the Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, claimed Donald Trump called to apologize for the US indictment of 15 Turkish security officials over a violent brawl with peaceful anti-Erdoğan protesters in Washington this year, the White House issued a denial.  In an interview with PBS’s Judy Woodruff to air on Tuesday night, Erdoğan said, according to a translator: ‘President Trump called me about a week ago about this issue. He said that he was sorry and he told me that he was going to follow up on this issue when we come to the United States within the framework of an official visit.’”