US' Trump calls on Muslim leaders to fight extremism

By Ilker Girit

ISTANBUL (AA) - U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday called on Muslim-majority countries to "honestly" confront extremist ideologies and terrorist groups.

Speaking at the Arab Islamic American Summit in Saudi Arabia's capital Riyadh, Trump urged Muslim leaders to drive extremists "out of your places of worship. Drive them out of your community. Drive them out of your holy land".

"Every nation has an absolute duty to ensure that terrorists find no quarter on their soil," he stated.

Trump called the fight against extremists a battle "between good and evil," adding that it "is not a battle between different faiths, different sects, or different civilizations".

Sunday’s summit -- the first of its kind -- was attended by Trump along with leaders and representatives of 55 Islamic countries.

Trump arrived in Saudi Arabia on Saturday on his first presidential trip abroad since taking office.

On the first day of Trump’s visit, the U.S. and Saudi Arabia agreed to an arms deal worth almost $110 billion "to support Saudi Arabia's defense needs," according to the U.S. State Department.