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Turkish President Erdogan called a 2013 criminal probe implicating him and his ruling party’s ministers in a corruption scandal a “coup” attempt by the “deep state.”
He purged prosecutors, called perceived opponents traitors, & made Turkey the world’s leading press jailer.
He purged prosecutors, called perceived opponents traitors, & made Turkey the world’s leading press jailer.
Gold trader Reza Zarrab, who spearheaded the money laundering scheme at the heart of the 2013 Turkish corruption scandal, was a Trump Towers Istanbul tenant.
Erdogan was at the towers’ ribbon-cutting.
Erdogan was at the towers’ ribbon-cutting.
At a NATO meeting last year, Trump reportedly said Erdogan “does things the right way” and gave him a fist bump.
One of Zarrab’s attorneys, by the way, was Rudy Giuliani, who acted as a go-between for the White House and Erdogan long before the Ukraine/Zelensky affair.
Even after everything with Zarrab, Michael Flynn, Bijan Kian, etc., the Turkish element of this story gets short shrift.
Even after everything with Zarrab, Michael Flynn, Bijan Kian, etc., the Turkish element of this story gets short shrift.
... Even as Trump increasingly adopts Erdogan’s rhetoric to try to stave off the investigations and scandals surrounding him.
