Keep Turkey’s leader’s hands, hate out of America

Turns out that Russia isn’t the only foreign country trying to get its hands into U.S. affairs.

Turkey’s president and budding despot Recep Tayyip Erdogan has made a practice of doing just that. The common denominator in both Russian and Turkish intrigues is Michael Flynn, who served as a paid lobbyist in the interests of Turkey immediately prior to his short stint as National Security Advisor.

Mr. Flynn is currently being investigated for receiving compensation to kidnap Erdogan’s No. 1 nemesis Fethullah Gulen, a cleric living in Pennsylvania, and delivering him back to Turkey to stand trial for his supposed role in plotting to overthrow the government.

Additionally, Erdogan is not beyond literally assaulting America’s institution of freedom of speech. During a visit to Washington earlier this year, he apparently ordered his bodyguards to quash a demonstration in front of Turkey’s U.S. Embassy.

Two Turkish Americans, who had joined in beating up peaceful American protesters, were arrested by U.S. officials. Prosecutors in the case recently offered a plea bargain, where the assailants would receive a one-year imprisonment term for assault in exchange for dropping the more severe “hate crime” charges. Erdogan needs to keep his hands and hate out of America.

This story was originally published December 28, 2017 at 4:10 PM with the headline "Keep Turkey’s leader’s hands, hate out of America."