Sermons and Shouted Insults: How Erdogan Keeps Turkey Spellbound
Sermons and Shouted Insults: How Erdogan Keeps Turkey Spellbound Photo President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey speaking at the country’s presidential palace in February. He often makes three speeches in a day, each broadcast live on multiple channels. Credit Murat Cetinmuhurdar/Presidential Palace, via Reuters ANKARA, Turkey — As President Trump has his tweets, the leader of Turkey has his speeches.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan makes up to three every weekday — two a day on weekends — and his charismatic, combative talks are the primary vehicle of his success.
He calls democracy advocates “marauders.” He mocks the German foreign minister as a “disaster.” He is as comfortable in the vernacular as he is reciting poetry. He takes on his enemies publicly by name, pivoting seamlessly from pious to pushy.
Even after 15 years at the helm, Mr. Erdogan, whose skills as an orator even his opponents envy, treats every event like a campaign rally — and he turns just about every day into one. He..