The Turkish president portrays Trump as a victim blindly led into war by Israel. He's got good reasons to avoid any direct criticism of his American counterpart

Trump's affinity for strongmen leaders made him an admirer of Erdogan, who amassed power in Turkey as its prime minister and in his 13th year as president.

It is time to confront Erdogan about his much-too-close alignment with Russia, China, and Iran; his military occupation of northern Cyprus and northern Syria; and the war he wages…