Stephen Lendman

Shocking stuff! It’s disturbingly common to label a political opponent another Hitler.

Hillary Clinton vilified Vladimir Putin this way. US officials called Venezuela’s Hugo Chavez another Hitler, among other pejoratives.

Former Mexican president Vincente Fox, former New Jersey Governor Christine Todd Whitman, former Anti-Defamation League head Abe Foxman, among others called Trump another Hitler.

The pro-Erdogan right-wing Turkish tabloid Gunes featured a front-page image of German Chancellor Angela Merkel with a mustache and Nazi attire, calling her “Frau Hitler.”

Erdogan is embroiled in battle with Germany, the Netherlands and other EU countries - ones blocking rallies, urging support for his controversial April referendum.

He wants a constitutional amendment affording him greater powers than already, destroying Turkey’s last democratic remnants in the process.

Main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) Kemal Kilicdaroglu said enactment of his proposed constitutional amendment will “demolish the democratic system in Turkey and harm civilization.”

Erdogan accused Germany and the Netherlands of acting like Nazis. Merkel “supports terrorists,” he said.

Gunes said she’s the “leader of fascists. Germany, which has open arms for terrorist organizations, is trying to instigate the whole of Europe against Turkey.”

French President Francois Hollande blasted Erdogan, calling his remarks “unacceptable.” Gunes published its attack on Merkel after German broadsheet Bild accused Turkey’s president of “endangering Europe’s stability through his lust of power,” adding:

“Bild tells the truth to Erdogan’s face. You are not a democrat. You are hurting your country.”

If given greater presidential powers, he said he’ll reinstate Turkey’s death penalty straightaway. Earlier, Merkel said reinstituting it will end Ankara’s chances for EU membership.

Erdogan is his own worst enemy. Alienating Germany and other EU nations destroy relationships instead of fostering them.

On Monday, a German government spokesman called his “Nazi comparisons…unacceptable in any form.” It’s up to Erdogan to stop further damaging bilateral relations.

German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel said an unacceptable “line has been crossed here.” Merkel’s CDU party vice president Julia Kloeckner asked “(h)as Mr. Erdogan lost his mind?” She urged Brussels to halt “financial aid worth billions of euros” to Turkey.

Erdogan has one trump card he can play - around three million Syrian refugees he agreed to domicile in return for billions of euros in aid.

If suspended or cut off, he can deport them cross-border to Greece, Bulgaria or six other countries bordering Turkey’s territory, including Syria and Iran.

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Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago. He can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net.

His new book as editor and contributor is titled "Flashpoint in Ukraine: How the US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III."

http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanIII.html

Visit his blog site at http://www.sjlendman.blogspot.com.

Listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network.