Trump congratulates Turkey's Erdogan on disputed referendum win - Polidicks

[url=http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/04/17/trump-congratulates-turkeys-erdogan-on-disputed-referendum-win.html]Source[/url] [quote]WASHINGTON – Ignoring concerns raised by international monitoring groups, President Donald Trump called Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday to congratulate him on the country's contested referendum greatly expanding presidential powers. The move comes despite protests from opposition parties and international monitoring groups -- as well as Trump's own State Department -- about voting irregularities during Sunday's referendum. And it aligns Trump with a leader who has taken on an increasingly authoritarian bent. Voters Sunday narrowly approved constitutional amendments that will replace Turkey's parliamentary system with a presidential one. Under the new system, the president will be able to appoint ministers and senior government officials, issue decrees and declare states of emergency. Opposition parties have complained of a series of irregularities, including an electoral board decision to accept ballots that did not bear official stamps, as required by Turkish law. International monitors from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe said the move undermined safeguards against fraud. Earlier Monday, U.S. State Department spokesman Mark Toner echoed the concerns raised by the OSCE, pointing to "observed irregularities" on voting day and "an uneven playing field" during the campaign. Erdogan, meanwhile, called the referendum "the most democratic election ... ever seen in any Western country" and admonished the OSCE monitors to "know your place." Critics argue the reforms in Turkey will hand extensive power to a man with an increasingly autocratic bent and leave few checks and balances in place. Underscoring the complicated relationship between the U.S. and Turkey, the White House readout of Trump's call also noted the pressing issues on which the U.S. has tried to work with Turkey, namely fighting the Islamic State group and quelling Syria's civil war.[/quote]

[quote]Erdogan, meanwhile, called the referendum "the most democratic election ... ever seen in any Western country" and admonished the OSCE monitors to "know your place."[/quote] Absurdity aside, I wasn't aware anyone considered Turkey a western country.

"the most democratic election ... ever seen in any Western country" someone get me a handkerchief, I'm crying and I don't know if it's cause I find it so funny or so sad

[QUOTE=ElectricSquid;52120039]Absurdity aside, I wasn't aware anyone considered Turkey a western country.[/QUOTE] It's got/had very strong ties to the west. Erdogan is trying to reverse that. Ataturk wanted Turkey to be western in terms of law for example.

[quote]Erdogan, meanwhile, called the referendum "the most democratic election ... ever seen in any Western country" and admonished the OSCE monitors to "know your place."[/quote] [t]https://i.redd.it/5xqwzckot5sy.jpg[/t]

Trump, one step forwards, seventeen thousand steps backwards. How the fuck could you possibly congratulate this?

[QUOTE=DogGunn;52120243]Trump, one step forwards, seventeen thousand steps backwards. How the fuck could you possibly congratulate this?[/QUOTE] It's obviously a facade. It's simply a political gesture.

I wouldn't doubt for a second that there was fraud involved. I'm also betting that Trump is mad jealous and would love to win a similar vote that gets him more power, which is why he called.

Imagine if he ends up losing 2019 anyways. But fraud would make that impossible.

[QUOTE=DiBBs27;52120254]It's obviously a facade. It's simply a political gesture.[/QUOTE] Bad timing for him to start learning politics to congratulate a dictator after what he did/said to australia/china/europe/germany/syria lol.

Bad timing? Erdrogan has as far as I know been like this forever.

Scumbag politician gets along well with an even more scumbag politician. Surprise surprise.

Jesus christ what a mess

[QUOTE=UnknownDude;52120317]Scumbag politician gets along well with an even more scumbag politician. Surprise surprise.[/QUOTE] Which ones the more? Dont answer that, rhetorical question.

[QUOTE=MrJazzy;52120310]Bad timing? Erdrogan has as far as I know been like this forever.[/QUOTE] Bad timing for trump to learn to be polite after hanging up on australia, launching missiles while having dinner with china, telling the european union to break up missing a handshake with merkel he congratulates erdogan on his dictatorship and gives him a pat on the back.

[QUOTE=DiBBs27;52120254]It's obviously a facade. It's simply a political gesture.[/QUOTE] It's about the least "America first" thing he could be doing right now short of fellating Kim Jong-Un. Erdogan is almost universally hated among Americans that know of him, even Assad is likely to be more popular. This is the kind of foreign policy that Trump voters wanted to end.

[QUOTE=ElectricSquid;52120039]Absurdity aside, I wasn't aware anyone considered Turkey a western country.[/QUOTE] They're looking to join the EU but are meeting very tight criterias, means a more western'ish culture

[QUOTE=Aredbomb;52120740]It's about the least "America first" thing he could be doing right now short of fellating Kim Jong-Un. Erdogan is almost universally hated among Americans that know of him, even Assad is likely to be more popular. This is the kind of foreign policy that Trump voters wanted to end.[/QUOTE] I some how doubt that Trump was the one who decided to make that call. I'm sure he was just told to do that. This foreign policy stuff goes deeper than american voters comprehend. It's never as simple as 'vote for somebody that most likely will not do the things that you don't like'. Thats exactly why you get these instances of leaders doing shit that are almost inherently against their values, or so you're lead to believe. I'm not trying to throw conspiracy theories but I'm pretty sure nobody has the whole story except for those in the office making these seemingly wild decisions. It just seems obvious to me. Nobody just does shit just to do it. Trump didn't just congratulate Erdogan for something that doesn't involve the US just to be a kind friend. There's obviously something else we the public aren't aware of.

[quote]Erdogan, meanwhile, called the referendum "the most democratic election ... ever seen in any Western country" and admonished the OSCE monitors to "know your place."[/quote] Eat my ass, you decrepit, senile old coot.

[QUOTE=DiBBs27;52120913]I some how doubt that Trump was the one who decided to make that call. I'm sure he was just told to do that. This foreign policy stuff goes deeper than american voters comprehend. It's never as simple as 'vote for somebody that most likely will not do the things that you don't like'. Thats exactly why you get these instances of leaders doing shit that are almost inherently against their values, or so you're lead to believe. I'm not trying to throw conspiracy theories but I'm pretty sure nobody has the whole story except for those in the office making these seemingly wild decisions. It just seems obvious to me. Nobody just does shit just to do it. Trump didn't just congratulate Erdogan for something that doesn't involve the US just to be a kind friend. There's obviously something else we the public aren't aware of.[/QUOTE] It's not even a conspiracy theory, the US isn't a dictatorship, the president can't do whatever the fuck he wants just because he got elected, he still has to deal with the rest of the government and his own party.

But the vote was rigged. I thought Trump hated rigged votes!

[QUOTE=Electrocuter;52121185]It's not even a conspiracy theory, the US isn't a dictatorship, the president can't do whatever the fuck he wants just because he got elected, he still has to deal with the rest of the government and his own party.[/QUOTE] Yeah, pretty much. I'm still amazed that people act like they have the US government, or any government for that matter, figured out. There is lots of stuff people don't know about the inner workings of government, especially when its in the context of foreign policy. Trump is literally a scapegoat.

[media]https://twitter.com/IvankaTrump/status/193337302066540545[/media]

It must be so frustrating for sane Turks to be so close to EU membership, and then to watch it all get thrown away. Getting into Europe is a very difficult thing historically - the definition and "border" of what is "European" has changed time and time again. Turkey's been out of Europe for a long while, and they were so close to breaking back in. Instead Erdogan trashed their government, staged a coup, hijacked the judiciary, faked an election, and made himself dictator. Turkey's shifting back into part of the Middle East, instead of being really "European." It's been "in-between" for decades, mostly because of Istanbul, but man if Erdogan hasn't fucked up any and all progress for Turks to become European.

[QUOTE=.Isak.;52121417]It must be so frustrating for sane Turks to be so close to EU membership, and then to watch it all get thrown away. Getting into Europe is a very difficult thing historically - the definition and "border" of what is "European" has changed time and time again. Turkey's been out of Europe for a long while, and they were so close to breaking back in. Instead Erdogan trashed their government, staged a coup, hijacked the judiciary, faked an election, and made himself dictator. Turkey's shifting back into part of the Middle East, instead of being really "European." It's been "in-between" for decades, mostly because of Istanbul, but man if Erdogan hasn't fucked up any and all progress for Turks to become European.[/QUOTE] From what I understand young Turks living in the cities are usually against Erdogan and his party while it's older, conservative Turks living in rural eastern provinces who back him in droves quite passionately.

You guys know that Turkey is one of the key places near the middle east the US has bases in, right? I mean I understand the whole "Erdogan = the new evil badman" side of it, and I agree he's a nutcase, but Trump has to get along with this guy or the US drone program/combat flight program suffers.

its like he doesn't seem to understand or care that this will make them a defacto dictatorship... [editline]18th April 2017[/editline] [QUOTE=Stroheim;52121613]You guys know that Turkey is one of the key places near the middle east the US has bases in, right? I mean I understand the whole "Erdogan = the new evil badman" side of it, and I agree he's a nutcase, but Trump has to get along with this guy or the US drone program/combat flight program suffers.[/QUOTE] they have way more to loose than we have to

[QUOTE=.Isak.;52121417]...staged a coup...[/QUOTE] I haven't kept up with the coup story at all. So it's known now he staged it? I know there were reports of him having lists of people he wanted to lock up/get rid off under the excuse of the coup but that's about it.