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Two to watch at the UN General Assembly: Turkey’s Erdogan and Iraq’s Salih

Turkish leader meets Trump ahead of safe-zone deadline; Iraqi president offers new direction for Iraq and region.
Iraq's President Barham Salih gestures during a news conference with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani (not pictured) at Salam Palace in Baghdad, Iraq March 11, 2019. REUTERS/Thaier al-Sudani - RC168FC63C00

The United Nations General Assembly convening next week in New York will again be dominated by issues from the Middle East. While it is beyond the scope or purpose of this short column to run down all the issues and actors in play, there are two that bear watching: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Iraqi President Barham Salih. Both come to New York with a challenging set of interests and objectives facing their countries. Both will be instrumental in what happens in Syria and the Gulf, and with Iran. Here’s a breakdown of what we can expect.

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