Biden Flies to Turkey to ‘Sweeten the Coffee’

Over a month after the July 15 failed coup in Turkey, which many in that country are blaming on the US, Vice President Joe Biden is visiting Ankara to repair the fraying ties with a key NATO ally. His visit comes two weeks after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, feeding speculations that Turkey is drifting away from the West. Biden’s discussions with his hosts in Ankara will likely be dominated by the Syrian conflict, closely linked to the war between Turkey and the Kurds. Also sure to top the agenda: Turkey’s extradition request for the charismatic US-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen, whom Turkish authorities blame for masterminding...