U.S. President Donald Trump praised Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan as a friend who gets "high marks" for "running a very difficult part of the world."

Trump's effusive praise for the Turkish leader came on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly on Thursday despite tensions between the two countries over the conduct of Turkish security officials toward American protesters.

Hours before Trump met Erdogan for talks, Erdogan supporters punched and kicked three protesters who interrupted his speech at a New York hotel.

Erdogan was addressing several hundred people at an event organized by a business group, the Turkish-American National Steering Committee, when one man stood and began shouting, “Terrorist! Terrorist!”

voice of America TV footage shows audience members pummeling him as U.S. security officers tried to hustle him to safety. Soon after he was gone, a second man followed suit and also was repeatedly punched and hit over the head with Turkish flags as he was led outside by U.S. security.

Erdogan tried to calm the crowd, saying: “Let's not sacrifice the whole meeting for a couple of terrorists.”

Then a third protester started heckling the president from a different part of the crowd. Although that incident occurred off-camera, a VOA reporter who was nearby said he too was beaten.

This was the second time this year that protesters in America have been assaulted by Erdogan supporters.

【埃尔多安抗议者遭殴打,川普称埃尔多安是朋友】相关文章：

★ 资讯热词：“绩效工资”怎么说？

★ 双语伊索寓言：生金蛋的鹅

★ 英国应向加拿大学什么？

★ 中资银行利润增长或持续减速

★ 英国将坚持紧缩至2018年

★ 香港路边空气污染状况更趋严重

★ 美防长帕内塔表示支持驻阿美军司令艾伦

★ 英国FSA收紧对海外银行监管

★ 奥巴马未就彼得雷乌斯调查案作出决定

★ 苹果新产品提振富士康业绩