Turkey's President Erdogan visits Washington amid policy rifts

When Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan comes to Washington this week, he'll open an Islamic cultural center in Lanham, Md., attend the 2016 Nuclear Security Summit and meet with Vice President Biden.

One thing he likely won't do is have a formal meeting with President Obama.

White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest told reporters Tuesday that Erdogan and Obama are expected to meet informally and "at least have a conversation." They won't meet because more than 50 world leaders are in town and Obama's time is limited, Earnest said.

But analysts detect a snub reflecting U.S. discomfort with Erdogan's crackdown on free expression in Turkish news media and political opponents.

On security matters, however, Erdogan and Obama are closer. Turkey supports a U.S.-led coalition fighting the Islamic State and backs Obama's call for new leadership in Syria to end the five-year civil war.

Erdogan was to arrive Tuesday evening and hopes to meet with Obama at some point during his visit, said Fatih Oke, spokesman for the Turkish Embassy in Washington.

Earnest said Monday that Obama and Erdogan met several times in recent months, including at the Paris climate summit in November, and both leaders will attend the nuclear security summit Thursday and Friday.

"We've got a lot of important business with the Turks to do, and we've made important progress through that diplomacy," Earnest said.

Erdogan, who has pushed his majority Muslim nation away from its traditionally secular culture to a more religious one, has been severely critical of the West. After the Paris terrorist attacks in November, Erdogan called European leaders hypocrites for not taking a stronger stand against anti-Muslim hate speech and attacks on mosques. He also has called for the West to do more to help Turkey deal with millions of refugees from Syria's civil war.