Upping the stakes in an intensifying row with Berlin, Erdogan said ethnic Turks in Germany should not cast their ballots either for Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union (CDU), the Social Democratic Party (SPD) of Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel, or the Greens.

The recent Turkish military push into Afrin region of Syria two days ago was enough to get even France’s Macron on the horn:

AFRIN, Syria (Reuters) – Turkey’s military and its Syrian rebel allies have taken full control of northwest Syria’s Afrin region, a Turkish army source said on Saturday, as aid workers distributed food to people in the area.

…Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan rejected criticism of the Afrin campaign in a phone call with French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday, according to a Turkish presidential source.

Among Turkey’s Western allies, France has been one of the biggest critics of the Turkish military operation, with its foreign minister saying concerns for its border security did not justify the incursion.

Unabated, the inhumane, beastly, ghastly cleansing in the purge of coup “conspirators” continues.

The UN High Commissioner on Human Rights issued a report this week detailing a “constantly deteriorating human rights situation, exacerbated by the erosion of the rule of law” including the imprisonment of moms who had just given birth on suspicion of being foes of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

Since the July 15, 2016, coup attempt, Erdoğan’s government has conducted massive sweeps of perceived opponents; U.S. consulate employees have been among those arrested, as well as pastor Andrew Brunson, who faces up to 35 years in prison, and NASA scientist Serkan Gölge, who was sentenced to 7.5 years in prison. Turkish authorities accused both American citizens of having CIA links.

The UN report uncovered “interference of the executive with the work of the judiciary and curtailment of parliamentary oversight over the executive branch of Government; arbitrary mass dismissals of civil servants and private sector employees; arbitrary closure of civil society organizations, including prominent human rights non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and media; arbitrary detention of people arrested under state of emergency measures; the use of torture and ill-treatment during pretrial detention; restrictions of the rights to freedoms of expression and of movement; arbitrary expropriation of private property; and methods of collective punishment targeting family members of individuals suspected of offences under the state of emergency.”

By the end of 2017, according to Turkey’s official statistics, 159,506 people had been arrested in relation to Erdoğan’s post-coup emergency decrees. Some 300 journalists have been arrested for “verbal act offenses” against the Islamist regime.

But. They need this guy. And, frankly, so do we, to a lesser extent.

However, he is growing increasingly bold as he consolidates his power at home.  Alarmingly, his rhetoric – both openly and implied – is becoming ever more bombastic.

The list of demands was issued after it was revealed Turkey is considering an “Army of Islam” to attack Israel.

Turkish state’s media mouthpiece Yeni Şafak has suggested uniting with the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to form a joint army to simultaneously attack Israel from all sides.

Yeni Şafak suggested: “If the member states of the OIC unite militarily, they will form the world’s largest and most comprehensive army.”

Mr Erdogan has not yet denied his support for the proposal and has on several occasions said he would like to resurrect the Ottoman Empire.

The tyrant has established military bases in Qatar and Somalia and recently reached an agreement with Sudan to acquire a Sudanese island in the Red Sea to be used as a military base.

So. How do you solve a problem named Recep Tayyip?

Don’t “fold,” for starters.