[BeadCounter]

I've heard some jokers say, "Russia will teach Turkey a lesson", in what parallel universe do they live in?

[afsnco]

I think Erdogan believes he’s the Mahdi. This won’t disabuse him of that notion.

[alloysteel]

All despots possess “great political authority”, exercised by ruthlessly suppressing all opposition and clinging to dogmatic proclamations as to their “absolute” right to rule, rather than govern.

Erdogan is probably not as doctrinaire as Stalin, but he is moving up in the rankings pretty fast. In fact, the failure of the ISIS to establish a caliphate makes his own ambitions to restore the Ottoman Empire that much more feasible, in his calculation.

Which puts Erdogan at loggerheads with the Islamic Republic of Iran, which is exercising its expansionist powers at Turkey’a very borders.

[Attention Surplus Disorder]

IMO Putin and Trump share a certain trait, that is, they kind of enjoy making statements that tweak the media reporting of same. Trump, of course, lots more than Putin.

[Seruzawa]

Russia needs the Bosporus Strait.

[granada]

Anti-Russia nuts can whine about Russia meddling Turkey’s election.