Trump congratulates new dictator on becoming a dictator

[Bill the Cat]

No it isn't customary, no democratic leader in the world, other than Trump called to congratulate the dictator Erdogan. Like Putin, Erdogan just happens to be the type of leader/dictator Trump aspires to.

Snicker...


http://aa.com.tr/en/turkey/world-lea...dum-win/798500

[rogue06]

Snicker...


http://aa.com.tr/en/turkey/world-lea...dum-win/798500

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán is the only other western leader to congratulate Erdogan

[Meh Gerbil]

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán is the only other western leader to congratulate Erdogan

From the article:

"According to diplomatic sources, foreign ministers from Hungary, Macedonia, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Sudan, Kenya, and the ---> U.K <----. offered congratulations to Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu in telephone calls. "

[rogue06]

From the article:

"According to diplomatic sources, foreign ministers from Hungary, Macedonia, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Sudan, Kenya, and the ---> U.K <----. offered congratulations to Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu in telephone calls. "

Did British Prime Minister Theresa May extend her congratulations or was it from some anonymous generic message through diplomatic channels? I specified "western leaders" who had done so.

[Meh Gerbil]

Did British Prime Minister Theresa May extend her congratulations or was it from some anonymous generic message through diplomatic channels? I specified "western leaders" who had done so.

I'll aware you +1 points on a technicality, although in reality the job of a foreign minister would be to speak on behalf of the government (or leader).
Do you suppose the foreign minister for the U.K. offered congratulations without clearing it with the government?

Also, isn't Turkey a member of NATO?

[demi-conservative]

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan calls Europe a “center of Nazism” and a “rotting continent” after a number of EU states cancelled his influence-peddling missions there.

“Europe is no longer a center of democracy, human rights and liberty but of repression, violence and Nazism,” Erdogan told a rally in the west-central city of Balikesir on Thursday.

http://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2017/04...an-Europe-Nazi

After this, Europe leaders not rushing to congratulate him. Shocking!!!

[Bill the Cat]

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán is the only other western leader to congratulate Erdogan

Jimmy didn't specify Western leaders though, just "democratic leaders"

[rogue06]

I'll aware you +1 points on a technicality, although in reality the job of a foreign minister would be to speak on behalf of the government (or leader).
Do you suppose the foreign minister for the U.K. offered congratulations without clearing it with the government?

Also, isn't Turkey a member of NATO?

If their Foreign Ministry with a member of the Conservative Party as PM is anything like our State Department when a Republican is president...

[Meh Gerbil]

If their Foreign Ministry with a member of the Conservative Party as PM is anything like our State Department when a Republican is president...

I already gave you 1 point.
You shan't be earning another anytime soon.

[Bill the Cat]

After this, Europe leaders not rushing to congratulate him. Shocking!!!

The EU is still butt hurt about Brexit. They need to show solidarity in something so as not to look completely toothless, despite being so.

[rogue06]

I already gave you 1 point.
You shan't be earning another anytime soon.

If I garner enough MG award points™ (or aware points) do I get my own exercise wheel as well?

[Leonhard]

I don't have many thoughts of this beyond it reminding me of this bit by Orson Welles.

[Sparko]

As the leader of theologyweb, I called and congratulated Erdogan on his victory and sent him a request to round up the dissidents on tweb like JimL, Starlight, Tassman and Shunyadragon.

[Bill the Cat]

As the leader of theologyweb, I called and congratulated Erdogan on his victory and sent him a request to round up the dissidents on tweb like JimL, Starlight, Tassman and Shunyadragon.

Can the world handle that much... errr... in one place?

[Rushing Jaws]

From the article:

"According to diplomatic sources, foreign ministers from Hungary, Macedonia, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Sudan, Kenya, and the ---> U.K <----. offered congratulations to Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu in telephone calls. "

Nothing new there. At all. Congratulating heads of state, however odious or unwise one may think their policies, is what other politicians in comparable positions to theirs do. It does not imply approval or agreement. It is not the person, but the office-holder, who is congratulated, because of the office held. In a civilised society, one adopts certain conventions for getting on with heads of state of whose actions one may disapprove on moral grounds.

The UK does not have to agree with all US policy decisions, or with all those made by Israel or Spain or China, in order to be on good terms with them - why should the US have to agree with Pres. Erdogan's policies, or judge them to be morally good, if it is to congratulate him ? And, is the same standard applied to other US decisions that also have moral implications; or to those of other countries ? Consistency in making such judgements is needed, otherwise those judgements are not just. The action of congratulating the new President is not discreditable to the US in any way - it was the right thing to do.

These congratulations are not likely to be construed as foreign approval of his policies by Pres. Erdogan, for the very simple reason that several of those countries have already criticised him for some of them.

It seems to me that criticising those nations that congratulate him on his victory rests on the notion that dealing with a head of state who does unpleasant things is no different in kind from dealing with a private person. Such an equivalence is AFAICS wholly mistaken.