Trump Called Erdogan to Congratulate Him on Referendum Results, Sources Say

[DB]

Finally !!  A sensible take on this matter.

Honestly, the only exercise some people here get is their knee jerk reactions to anything Trump does.

Wow. Erdogan solidifying his dictatorship deserves no "congratulations" from a free country and it is hardly a "knee jerk" reaction to call it what it is.

You are witnessing the collapse of a once modern democratic country sliding into a Islamic hell hole. And our president congratulating Erdogan's further grip over it - but that is a-okay with you... It is "sensible" and all...

[geronl]

I expect another massive purge sooner rather than later after this. I am sure he can work up some pretext like he did with the fake coup.

[txradioguy]

Soooo...we should ally with Assad. Help him clean up HIS country.

Along with Putin and the Mad Mullahs in Iran

[EC]

If I'm not mistaken, at least some ISIS fighters have found refuge and medical care in Turkey while our true friends the Kurds have found themselves on the receiving end of a few Turkish attacks.

A few? Try almost daily. 

[Hoodat]

Perhaps the fact that we have seen millions voting themselves into complete dependence on a tyrant has made our generation understand that to choose one's government is not necessarily to secure freedom.

-Friedrich von Hayek-

[Jazzhead]

Turkey is a key member of NATO and an absolutely key ally in the fight against ISIS. I'd imagine Trump and many other NATO nation leaders called to congratulate him on the voting. I'm no fan of Erdogan, but picking a fight with him given the critical geopolitical positioning of Turkey would be the height of foolishness. It is imperative we maintain a solid relationship there....if Roosevelt could stomach Stalin for the good of the planet than I'd hope Trump could manage a single phone call of congratulations to Erdogan.

It's hard to fault the logic of this.   Whatever one thinks of Erdogan,  he didn't "seize" power,  he was granted it by the vote of the Turkish people.   It is wise to accept the world as it is,  and make the best of it. 

[Rivergirl]

One of the many frightening things about DT is that he seemed willing to go along with the kidnapping of the Turkish man here in the USA who was instrumental in advocating  the overthrow of Erdogan.  Of course, this was at the behest of Flynn, Erdogan's man in the DT transition.

[Cripplecreek]

One of the many frightening things about DT is that he seemed willing to go along with the kidnapping of the Turkish man here in the USA who was instrumental in advocating  the overthrow of Erdogan.  Of course, this was at the behest of Flynn, Erdogan's man in the DT transition.

Fethullah Gülen. He's a strong supporter of a secular Turkey with American style freedom of religion.

Its pretty bad that Obama responded to the Turkish extradition request the right way and explaining that there is a legal process for it and they would have to follow it. Flynn on the other hand goes over there to brainstorm illegal means of sending Gülen to prison in Turkey.

[Sanguine]

Finally !!  A sensible take on this matter.

Honestly, the only exercise some people here get is their knee jerk reactions to anything Trump does.

@Emjay, I like you and respect you, but that's a very odd statement, given who and what Erdogan is. 

[txradioguy]

It's hard to fault the logic of this.   Whatever one thinks of Erdogan,  he didn't "seize" power,  he was granted it by the vote of the Turkish people.   It is wise to accept the world as it is,  and make the best of it.

Not sure whether you are naïve or just totally unaware of how Erdogan has manipulated the system and forced any opposition into hiding or jail to get his "legitimate" vote.

But you need to seriously brush up on what has been going on in Turkey for the last 5-6 years.

Oh and I'll remind you that the history of the world is full of example of Dictators that were supposedly granted power "by the people" as you described it.

Erdogan is no friend of the Western world.

[txradioguy]

@Emjay, I like you and respect you, but that's a very odd statement, given who and what Erdogan is.

@Sanguine

It's no so much that she's defending Erdogan as it is she's displaying her automatic defense of anything Trump does or says.

[Cripplecreek]

Not sure whether you are naïve or just totally unaware of how Erdogan has manipulated the system and forced any opposition into hiding or jail to get his "legitimate" vote.

But you need to seriously brush up on what has been going on in Turkey for the last 5-6 years.

Oh and I'll remind you that the history of the world is full of example of Dictators that were supposedly granted power "by the people" as you described it.

Erdogan is no friend of the Western world.

Hitler came to power by electoral and legal political means.

[Weird Tolkienish Figure]

@Sanguine

It's no so much that she's defending Erdogan as it is she's displaying her automatic defense of anything Trump does or says.

 

[Cripplecreek]

Not sure whether you are naïve or just totally unaware of how Erdogan has manipulated the system and forced any opposition into hiding or jail to get his "legitimate" vote.

But you need to seriously brush up on what has been going on in Turkey for the last 5-6 years.

Oh and I'll remind you that the history of the world is full of example of Dictators that were supposedly granted power "by the people" as you described it.

Erdogan is no friend of the Western world.

Just last year in a request to grant Egyptian asylum to Fethullah Gülen, Egyptian moderate representatives explained to their congress that Edrogan with the help of the Muslim Brotherhood was rapidly destroying all the reforms that had made Turkey a moderate nation for the last half century.

[txradioguy]

Hitler came to power by electoral and legal political means.

@Cripplecreek

So did Mussolini...Pol Pot...Saddam Hussein...and Robert Mugabe.

[Cripplecreek]

@Cripplecreek

So did Mussolini...Pol Pot...Saddam Hussein...and Robert Mugabe.

In contrast, a case could be made that moderate Al Sisi came to power in Egypt through a coup. In fact, Turkey has a history of coups in favor of moderate secularism.

The reason coups in favor of moderates have happened in those muslim countries is because their military forces have been loyal to the people rather than to a dictator.

[ABX]

Finally !!  A sensible take on this matter.

Honestly, the only exercise some people here get is their knee jerk reactions to anything Trump does.

How is a falsehood a reasonable answer?  Erdogan has not been an ally in fighting ISIS, he has been supporting ISIS (linked article upthread). He is a madman who is crushing modernization reforms in Turkey.  At that, Turkey has been on the verge of losing its NATO membership for a few years because of how they are acting. https://turkey.liveuamap.com/en/2016/18-july-turkey-may-lose-membership-in-nato-if-it-does-not

[Cripplecreek]

How is a falsehood a reasonable answer?  Erdogan has not been an ally in fighting ISIS, he has been supporting ISIS (linked article upthread). He is a madman who is crushing modernization reforms in Turkey.  At that, Turkey has been on the verge of losing its NATO membership for a few years because of how they are acting. https://turkey.liveuamap.com/en/2016/18-july-turkey-may-lose-membership-in-nato-if-it-does-not

And just this morning we get word of Edrogan having journalists arrested.

[txradioguy]

In contrast, a case could be made that moderate Al Sisi came to power in Egypt through a coup. In fact, Turkey has a history of coups in favor of moderate secularism.

The reason coups in favor of moderates have happened in those muslim countries is because their military forces have been loyal to the people rather than to a dictator.

Al Sisi coming to power was a course correction to the egregious error Obama made (on purpose???) of aiding and abetting the rise of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt during the "Arab Spring".  Thankfully that coup was carried out before damage was done to the military with purges of secular generals and senior enlisted.

Same can't be said in Turkey.

Erdogan started his consolidation of power about 4 years ago when he rounded up 400 current and retired Generals and tossed them in jail.  IIRC he's replaced all of the top Generals with radical Islamists and the second largest military in NATO has effectively been neutered.  Any semblance of resistance from the military was blunted in Erdogan's staged coup attempt that allowed him to round up nearly 10,000 "plotters" and toss them in jail as well as rounding up journalists and teachers for the same fate.

That is the guy Trump is calling to congratulate for his "victory"...the same thug who was so desperate to get enough votes to allow his consolidation of power to pass he was campaigning to ex pats living in Western Europe.

[ABX]

It's hard to fault the logic of this.   Whatever one thinks of Erdogan,  he didn't "seize" power,  he was granted it by the vote of the Turkish people.   It is wise to accept the world as it is,  and make the best of it.

That was in 2003 when he ran as a populist reformer who opposed Islamists. Since then, he has changed his attitude on Islamists, supporting them, and he has been jailing (and worse) political rivals, jailing journalists who speak out against him, and every recent election has been mired in controversy because of his brutal crack down on opposition.

His elections were about as well received as Saddam's electoral victories.

[txradioguy]

How is a falsehood a reasonable answer?  Erdogan has not been an ally in fighting ISIS, he has been supporting ISIS (linked article upthread). He is a madman who is crushing modernization reforms in Turkey.  At that, Turkey has been on the verge of losing its NATO membership for a few years because of how they are acting. https://turkey.liveuamap.com/en/2016/18-july-turkey-may-lose-membership-in-nato-if-it-does-not

IMHO they should have had their NATO membership called into question when they refused to let the 4th ID land at a port in Turkey during the invasion of Iraq. 

His government does nothing when U.S. service members are harassed and beaten...sometimes with bags put over their heads on the streets of Turkish cities...the outright hostility towards U.S. service personnel has gotten so bad the evacuated family members from Incerlik Air Base this time last year.

[Rivergirl]

Erdogan had one plan for Gulen.  EXECUTION

[Cripplecreek]

Al Sisi coming to power was a course correction to the egregious error Obama made (on purpose???) of aiding and abetting the rise of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt during the "Arab Spring".  Thankfully that coup was carried out before damage was done to the military with purges of secular generals and senior enlisted.

Same can't be said in Turkey.

Erdogan started his consolidation of power about 4 years ago when he rounded up 400 current and retired Generals and tossed them in jail.  IIRC he's replaced all of the top Generals with radical Islamists and the second largest military in NATO has effectively been neutered.  Any semblance of resistance from the military was blunted in Erdogan's staged coup attempt that allowed him to round up nearly 10,000 "plotters" and toss them in jail as well as rounding up journalists and teachers for the same fate.

That is the guy Trump is calling to congratulate for his "victory"...the same thug who was so desperate to get enough votes to allow his consolidation of power to pass he was campaigning to ex pats living in Western Europe.

Edrogan has also pressured other nations to close Gülenist schools and medical facilities because he doesn't want that very moderate brand of Islam spreading.

[txradioguy]

Edrogan has also pressured other nations to close Gülenist schools and medical facilities because he doesn't want that very moderate brand of Islam spreading.

I wish NATO would wake up and realize this guy needs to go.  His country was a strategic partner during the cold war when we could station NIKE Missiles there...but they haven't been much of a friend to the rest of the NATO Allies in the last couple decades.

[Cripplecreek]

I wish NATO would wake up and realize this guy needs to go.  His country was a strategic partner during the cold war when we could station NIKE Missiles there...but they haven't been much of a friend to the rest of the NATO Allies in the last couple decades.

Edrogan is openly threatening to send even more "refugees" to Europe.