U.S. Vice President Joe Biden is in Turkey on a three-day visit aimed at persuading Turkish leaders to play a bigger role in the international coalition fight against Islamic State militants who have captured swaths of Iraq and Syria.
Biden's visit to Turkey follows weeks of public bickering between the two NATO allies over the reluctance of Turkish leaders to become militarily involved in the campaign against the jihadists.
Biden met Friday with Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu in Istanbul and is scheduled to meet with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan Saturday.
President Erdogan has insisted if the U.S. wants his help, it must focus less on fighting the IS extremists and more on toppling Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
Biden meets Sunday with with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew before departing for Washington.
