US President Donald Trump said Thursday that his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan "knows about rigged elections better than anybody," as he drew common ground with the leader often accused of autocratic behavior.
Trump, who falsely claims election fraud thwarted his 2020 presidential bid, said he and Erdogan stayed friends while he was out of office -- a period the American called "exile."
And Erdogan, in power since 2014, earned Trump's praise Thursday despite a crackdown in Turkey on the opposition and the media.Â
"This is a guy who's highly opinionated. Usually, I don't like opinionated people, but I always like this one, but he's a tough one," Trump said as he hosted Erdogan in Washington.
It was Erdogan's first bilateral visit to the White House since 2019 during Trump's first term, with former president Joe Biden having a tense relationship with the Turkish leader he labeled an "autocrat."
Under Erdogan, authorities have targeted Turkey's main opposition party with repeated arrests including of Istanbul's powerful mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, who has been detained since March on corruption allegations he denies.Â
Trump has sought to sideline democratic checks and balances since he returned to office in January.Â
He has also long shown admiration for autocratic leaders, often positively highlighting how long certain heads of state have managed to hold on to power.Â
In August, Trump heaped praise on Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev -- who has led the former Soviet republic for 22 years -- when he visited Washington.
"That's a long time, and the only reason you can be in a country that long is when you're very smart and very confident," he said.
Trump himself has repeatedly teased the prospect of seeking a third term -- something barred by the US Constitution.Â
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