Mr Trump has long been an international laughing stock for his habit of making grandiose threats, and then following them up by retreat, concessions, and presidential weakness.
BY LAURA KELLY
Turkish media are seizing on President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s comments that President Trump had “no reaction” to his returning the American leader’s notorious letter to him, saying it shows a clear victory over Trump.
A headline in Sabah Daily, a pro-government media outlet, said that international media were reporting that Erdoğan returned the “scandalous” letter to Trump and the American president was “silent.”
One headline in Turkey’s Hurriyet Daily quoted the Turkish leader talking about Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.): “I told him what he needed, he learned his lesson.”
“Don’t be a tough guy. Don’t be a fool! I will call you later,” stated the letter, which was widely mocked at the time as offensive and undiplomatic.
Erdoğan’s statement that he had returned the letter to Trump contradicted earlier reports that the Turkish leader had thrown the correspondence in the garbage upon receipt.
Erdoğan also told Turkish media that Trump was “very impressed” with a video he showed in the Oval Office.
Aykan Erdemir, a senior fellow with the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and a former member of the Turkish parliament, said Erdoğan’s remarks are meant to send a message in Turkey.
“Erdoğan really is a very cunning politician, so he is speaking in a way, when translated into English, let’s say harmless comments,” he said. “But when his loyalists listen in Turkish, in Turkey, they can be interpreted as Erodgan dominating Trump, or even insulting Trump.”
Mohamed Fahmy, CEO of The Investigative Journal, said the perception presented by Turkish media of a successful visit by Erdoğan over Trump fuels anti-American feelings in Turkey and reinforces conspiracy theories that the U.S. supports terrorism.
“Erdoğan continues to fuel anti-US rhetoric among the Turkish population and continues to market the idea that the coup in 2016 was US-led,” Fahmy said.