Monday, July 10, 2023

Erdogan Says E.U. Must ‘Clear the Way’ for Turkey Before It Will Support Sweden’s NATO Bid

THE NEW YORK TIMES: The Turkish president’s surprising new demand was bound to frustrate other leaders in the military alliance one day before a high-profile summit.

“Nobody should expect compromise nor understanding from me,” said President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey. | Umit Bektas/Reuters

ISTANBUL — President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey said on Monday that the European Union should open the way for Turkey to join the bloc before Turkey allows Sweden to join NATO, adding a surprising new condition that could further stall the military alliance’s efforts to expand.

Mr. Erdogan’s latest demand came a day before the opening of NATO’s two-day annual summit, where leaders, including President Biden, had hoped to secure unanimous approval from member states to allow Sweden to become the 32nd member.

That outcome now appears increasingly unlikely, with Mr. Erdogan posing the main obstacle to Sweden’s membership.

“First, clear the way for Turkey in the European Union, then we will clear the way for Sweden as we did for Finland,” Mr. Erdogan told reporters before traveling to the NATO summit. » | Ben Hubbard | Monday, July 10, 2023

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Erdoğan Builds Another Mega-Mosque, This Time in Germany: The City Council of Wuppertal, a municipality in western Germany with a substantial Muslim population, has voted to approve the construction of a controversial new mega-mosque that will be controlled by the government of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, a tireless propagator of political Islam in Europe. »

Erdogan is like Janus: His face looks in two directions! One minute he looks West; the next, East.

If Europe wants to be Islamized, its leaders need to pave the way for Turkey’s accession to the European Union. If, however, they want Europe to remain largely Judæo Christian, …

Tough choices lie ahead. – © Mark Alexander