But while saying ties with the United States were strong, Davutoglu repeatedly referred to the Syrian group — called the People’s Protection Units and known by its Arabic initials as the YPG — as a terrorist organization on par with the Islamic State and as a component part of Turkey’s own Kurdish militants, who have long used violence to try to carve out their own state inside the Turkish border.

“We shared this vision” with Biden, Davutoglu said. “It’s good to see we’re on the same page.”