Turkish leader says Obama always respectful
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Turkey's prime minister has dismissed opposition criticism of a White House photo showing President Barack Obama holding a baseball bat during a telephone conversation with the leader.
Turkish opposition groups this week picked apart the photo, claiming the picture was disrespectful.
Erdogan told Turkey's A Haber news channel on Sunday that Obama is "a friend who never falls short of respect or politeness."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The White House issued a brief statement to the Anadolu news agency Friday saying it released the picture to emphasize the close relationship between the two leaders.