Constitutional Law, International, Media, Politics

Trump Meets With Erdogan In Midst Of Rising Scandal Over His Alleged Disclosure of Classified Information To Russians

The one thing you can say about this President is that he has an impressive sense of timing. Unfortunately it tends to be bad timing.  First there was the disastrous meeting with the Russians in the wake of his firing former FBI Director James Comey.  The optics could not be worst . . . until the meeting got worse with the alleged disclosure of code name intelligence from an ally.  That meeting was held at the request of Russian president Vladimir Putin and then the Russians releases pictures taken by its state-run media organization, Tass, to the embarrassment of the Administration.  Now, after Trump has threatened to cancel daily press briefings and change libel laws to allow easier lawsuits against the media, he is meeting with one of the one of the world’s most authoritarian figures, Turkish President ­Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Trump was previously criticized for calling Erdogan to congratulate him for acquiring near dictatorial powers in a close referendum.  The last leader that anyone would want commiserating with Trump at this moment is Erdogan who has arrested journalists and critics alike in a crackdown on free speech and the free press.

 

Erdogan will be trying to get Trump to reverse his decision to arm to Kurdish fighters who remain the most effective warriors against ISIS.  Trump wants to  supply small arms, machine guns, armored vehicles and other military hardware to the Kurdish fighters from the People’s Protection Units (YPG).  Erdogan views the Kurds as a threat and has classified them all as terrorists.

While Trump is unlikely to reverse the decision, there is a concern that he might give up Fethullah Gulen a cleric and critic of Erdogan. Erdogan has wanted to arrest Gulen for years and most recently accused him of complicity in the attempt coup against him.  He has used the coup to arrest all of his perceived opponents and fire tens of thousands of teachers and others in his rollback of civil liberties.

Hopefully, Erdogan will not give Trump advice on how tranquil life has become as Turkish leader after he eradicated protections for the free press and arrested people for the exercise of free speech.  Ironically, while  (he later insisted that he did not refuse), there are many sitting in Turkish jails who would wish he would avoid the hand of Erdogan.  The fact is that Turkey remains an important ally in the region. However, Erdogan has destroyed the secular traditions of that country and introduced increasing Islamic influences over the government.  While Trump cannot be criticized for meeting with him, he should not give up with the Kurds or Gulen to please this aspiring dictator.

159 thoughts on “Trump Meets With Erdogan In Midst Of Rising Scandal Over His Alleged Disclosure of Classified Information To Russians”

    1. WashPost has long been a fake news purveyor – they have a special little technique of putting out a story and then issuing a retraction/correction after people have gone on to the next story so few notice. They also worked for HRC – during the primaries they put out 16 negative stories in 16 hours about Bernie Sanders!.

      Jeff Bezos has ruined that paper. Some folks have come to the conclusion that WashPost, NYT and TYT are GovInc conduits. But then they would be conspiracy theorists =)

  2. From Mollie Hemingway at The Federalist:
    1. In the immediate aftermath, news outlets will get it wrong.
    2. Don’t trust anonymous sources. If democracy dies in darkness, anonymity is not exactly transparent or accountable. Unless someone is willing to put his or her name with a leak, be on guard. Pay attention to how well the reporters characterize the motivations of the anonymous leaker. All leakers have motivation. Does the paper seem to have a grasp on how the motivation affects the veracity of the leak?
    3. If someone is leaking national security information in order to support the claim of a national security violation, be on guard.
    4. If someone is claiming a serious national security crisis but not willing to go public with the claim and resign in protest of same, be on guard.
    5. Compare sources willing to put their name and reputation on the line.
    6. Big anti-Trump news brings out the fakers.
    7. Pay attention to the language that the media uses. Is a story about something unimportant being written in such a way as to make it seem more important?
    8. Beware confirmation bias. Everyone has the tendency to interpret new evidence as confirmation of one’s existing beliefs or theories. Be on guard that you don’t accept critical or exonerating evidence to match your political preferences.
    9. Pay attention to how quickly and fully editors and reporters correct stories based on false information from anonymous sources. If they don’t correct at all, it’s an indication of a lack of respect.

    1. Because Merkel can keep her mouth shut about classified information and Tump can’t! How about that fro starters.

    2. Merkel met with Erdogan because Obama said she could. She was strong until Washington broke her. Neo libs/neo cons stick together. I see Mama Merkel and the Magical Negro are going to meet soon — I can already envision the adoring masses at the Brandenberg Tor! DemocratsAbroad have a very different take as they realize what Obama did to this country. Wow, no one can make this sh#t up!

      While profane I think Jimmy Dore sums up what Independents think of Obama:

  6. Politics makes strange bedfellows. International politics makes stranger bedfellows.

  7. We need some “allies” in the war against terror. Russia was our ally in WWII. Anyone recall that one? The cold war is over. Putin looks like a snake but so does Hollande that dork from France who just left office. Nato does little to fight the terrorists. I do not want troops in the Muddle East. Bombs are good. You cannot cure idiots. But you can keep them at bay.

    2. Jack: here’s the likely truth: Dumpster didn’t KNOW what he was doing was stupid. Disclosing the location of the laptop bomb making operation was the huge misstep. That tipped off ISIS that there are plants in their operation, who are likely already dead. The reasons Dumpster did it are: 1. to show off for the Russians about how smart American intelligence is and how powerful he is; 2. he didn’t listen or pay attention to the “code” status of that location information. I’d like to believe the disclosure was in error. If it wasn’t, he needs to go to prison or be executed as a traitor.

    3. Jack Ruby – McMaster described Russia as “allies” in today’s press briefing.

  8. So, the question has to be–when would the timing be right to meet with an ally in a dangerous part of the world? A month from now? Six months from now? We all know rear it really doesn’t matter. Every move–and I do mean, every, single, solitary move–made by this President, receives the kind of relentless scrutiny and ongoing criticism that King Obama could have only imagined in his worst nightmares. Trump can’t win for losing. If he meets with world leaders, he is accused of being in cahoots with them, and, if he fails to meet with them, he is accused of failing to get anything accomplished during his first few months in office. A no-win situation.

    1. I agree with Bam Bam. I was watching the media dorks last night talking about Trump releasing secrets to the Russians and that this offended an ally. Ok. Which ally? What secret?

      1. Jack Ruby – which ally would know they were offended. We trade classified material with other countries all the time. That is how the game is played. Is the MSM that dumb?

      2. The ally who had people planted in ISIS who knew about how they were planning to turn a laptop into a bomb. Identifying the city would easily lead to the plants. They’re probably already dead, just like America’s relationships with allies in the Middle East.

    2. Every move–and I do mean, every, single, solitary move–made by this President, receives the kind of relentless scrutiny and ongoing criticism that King Obama could have only imagined in his worst nightmares…
      ___________________

      Riiiiight… that statement is so out of touch w/ reality, I can only gape in astonishment…

      2. You really must not have been paying attention during the Obama administration. Every move he made, every outfit his wife wore (heaven forbid sleeveless), every golf outing, every trip home, every thing was scrutinized and criticized by some.
        What is different is that Obama released his taxes and they didn’t remain a story for years. He didn’t have the conflicts of interest and the nepotism that Trump has. I don’t want to turn this into a Obama/Trump comparison but generally Obama got just as much or more scrutiny. There are issues that linger with Trump because he never resolved them. Trump invites scrutiny because of the inconsistencies of his statements with his own previous statements and the outright lies.

        1. Yes, of course Obama didn’t let issues fester. Great and noble kings never do. Do you recall the issue over his birth certificate? Gosh, golly, gee–he sure didn’t let something so straightforward and obvious as submitting his birth certificate cause any kind of a tizzy, now did he? What did he have to hide? How about those transcripts, which have never been released, to this day? There are none so blind as those who refuse to see.

          1. I think Obama may have resented being asked to provide something no one else had been ever required to provide. As opposed to something that every President since Nixon had. If you want more birther information, check with Squeeky who still maintains a Birther section on her blog. I submit there were and would have continued to be any number of fake stories like his being born in Kenya, a secret Muslim, he hates White people that he could have spent all his time denying which would have only fueled the fire. I suspect Trump releasing his taxed would have fueled a fire of a different sort.

            1. Birth certificates are pretty routine identification documents. They are inherently different than tax returns. There is no real questionable type information on a birth certificate,. But ask yourself, if Obama released his short form, less than a full page birth certificate, and it caused 3 years of questions, what do you think a thousand page tax return released by Trump would do???

              Plus, Hillary already has his tax return.

              Squeeky Fromm
              Girl Reporter

              1. I don’t typically reply to you Squeeky but as I did reference your blog I’ll do so now. There are those including yourself for which no information provided by Obama has been or ever will be sufficient to stave off claims of Kenyan birth or other inferences of illegitimacy.
                Yes Trump’s returns would no doubt generate great scrutiny and discussion. We can agree they are likely complex. None of the men before him were pikers and filing the 1040EZ. The reason candidates release their returns are to reassure the public of their character and win elections. At least not lose elections because not doing so makes them look like they have something to hide. I personally don’t feel that his returns will show easily proved ties to Russia but I don’t think they will represent an honest depiction of his finances. He lies in all other things and I don’t expect honesty there.
                Didn’t get your reference to Hillary having his tax return. If she did have them I think we would have seen them during the campaign.

                1. Let’s be realistic Enigma, there is absolutely nothing that Trump can produce other than a letter of resignation that would satisfy his critics…and even then it might take a stake in the heart to convince them he will not rise again. The same could be said of many Obama critics. Somewhere in between exist people that will have some healthy skepticism of what is reported in the “news”. That group would not be so inclined to make statements such as “He lies in all other things and I don’t expect honesty there.” On another point, if Hillary did have his returns and they couldn’t damage Trump, then she would be better served to not release them during the campaign.

                  1. Olly, I’m so glad you are here. It keeps me from total despair.

                2. If you read my blog, you would see that I accepted the long form birth certificate as proof. As far as releasing tax returns as a proof of good character, that is a pipe dream. Did Bill Clinton have “good character”??? Do Hillary and Bill have good character, even though their non-profits file tax returns? It is very possible to bribe people right out in the open. My goodness, but that is exactly what the Democrats do with blacks. Promise them freebies and special treatment in return for votes.

                  Trump’s tax return is just a fishing expedition for more crap for Democrats to whine and make up lies over. As far as Hillary having access to Trump’s tax return, I take that as a given, as would anybody with any degree of street smarts. DNC operatives who work for the IRS long ago got those records to Hillary, and others. However, they can not release them because that would subject them to criminal prosecution. Once again, pull your head out of that special place. There are reports of NSA employees using the agency resources to spy on their wives and girlfriends. And even now we hear of Obama surveilling Senators and others. You really think the DNC doesn’t have those tax returns? Remember FileGate???

                  Squeeky Fromm
                  Girl Reporter

                  1. “We hear of Obama surveilling Senators and others.” Hillary has the tax returns. “Remember FileGate???”
                    You traffic in every conspiracy theory. If Sarah Huckabee Sanders doesn’t get the job I know of an opening fit for you. You’ll need to try toning down insulting black people in almost every post though. Optics! I had forgotten the details of FileGate. For those that missed it, http://www.salon.com/2010/03/10/filegate/

                    1. You should try actually READING the stuff you cite. The Court said the Plaintiffs could not prove that the the Defendants used or planned to use the files, BUT NOT that the files hadn’t been obtained in the first place.

                      You see, Enigma, it would be like if Trump had your FBI file in his office, and you got mad and sued. BUT, since you couldn’t prove Trump used your file to do anything, then your case got thrown out. But I am betting that you would still be pretty miffed that your file wound up there in the first place where it had no business being. That is how you would feel if there was just one file, yours.

                      In Filegate, there were about 700+ FBI files of Republicans that mysteriously ended up in the White House, at the time when databases were coming into vogue. Sooo, tell me as a black dude, if one of those files had been yours, and maybe a bunch of other Black Lives Matter people, would you still believe Whitey had your files for no bad purposes, or would you still be squealing like a pig under a fence. Same with the people in Filegate. The shuck and jive was being used on them.

                      But for some reason, you are real selective on which white folks that you don’t trust. If it is Trump, and Republicans than there is a boogeyman in every woodpile. But if it is Hillary and the Democrats, then you just turn your BullSh*t Selector to the “Off” position, and start tap dancing to whatever tune they play.

                      You would have more credibility with me, if you stayed suspicious all the time. But you don’t. So you don’t come across to me as anything other than a partisan.

                      Squeeky Fromm
                      Girl Reporter

                    2. You’re use of something in a “woodpile” is getting more frequent. I see you Squeeky. Going back to ignoring you again. I have to go “shuck and jive” with the rest of my Black Lives Matter people, I best get started on meeting some first although I do know where to find them on the Internet.

                    3. Plus, quit using Salon to look up stuff. You are never going to get the straight scoop there, except by accident. If you want an OPINION, then go to Salon. If you want FACTS, then try a basically neutral site like Wiki to get an overview of what happened.

                      Then, you can try to reach your own OPINION, not the OPINION of some white liberal idiot at Salon. Because what happens then, is that you end up being whitey’s fool. And tool. Which ain’t kewl. In my school.

                      Squeeky Fromm
                      Girl Reporter

                    4. Once again, you tap dance out of having to give an answer by name calling. C’mon, try to be straight here and answer the question. If your FBI file and 800 moreFBI files of Democratic Black people ended up in Trump’s White House, would you believe the nice white folks there just made a filing boo-boo, or would you think something fishy was going on???

                      I know you have a problem when somebody gets you off your usual narrative spiel, but try to give me a straight answer. I will make it easy for you! Here it is in Multiple Choice!

                      a) I would believe the nice white folks in Trump’s White House made a simple boo-boo;
                      b) Oh Hell No! Me and 800 more black folks FBI Files??? A boo-boo??? Bullsh*t!!!

                      Squeeky Fromm
                      Girl Reporter

                    5. I haven’t suggested you’re anything you aren’t openly proud of. Anonymity and a safe haven where no one will call you out has given you great freedom. I wish you well I truly do,

      3. You want to know why the scrutiny? Because Dumpster is incompetent, thin-skinned, egotistical, emotionally unstable and only wanted to be President because it was the ultimate ego trip. Lastly, don’t forget he was not the candidate for which the majority of Americans voted.

    3. Bam Bam,
      You know you are correct when you leave them to “only gape in astonishment”. 😉

      1. He ain’t seen nothing, yet. Wait until I stun him with amazement. 😉

      1. Just curious, anon – do you have any thoughts of your own, or do you just live in TwitterWorld?

        2. The tweeters have better pictures. :)https://twitter.com/bdentonphoto/status/864385047029329921

  10. Reblogged this on Welcome to My Corner Here on Word Press and commented:
    I am in the midst of a brief walkabout as I finished off some thoughts for this latest by Professor Turley. He’s underscored what many in my view (including myself) believe about what the Erdogan Pasha has done.

  11. It has been an interesting discourse as I finish off some thoughts. I appreciate the Professor once agian giving voice to profound concerns many of us have. For a President who cherishes his “image”, it does not look good–does it? He’s so far hosted two thugs, Sisi & Now Erdogran….I get all who are fans of the President–and that’s fine–but the reality is that we’re looking at incompetence in the midst of profound challenges–I will remind all that the Middle East is on Fire, the Saudis (whom the Administration wishes to sell billions of arms to have made a mess out of in Yemen (and before anyone gets excited…let me note Iran’s actions are not helpful at all..); the inferno of Syria continues to rage on; The taliban control a large percentage of Afghanistan and have some 19 cities (based on reporting I’ve seen we’ve also noted in who I work for–The Dally Outsider); Iraq continues to be in state of near rebellion and back in our backyard, Venezuela continues to be in a state of crisis with no end in sight. This is as we are dealing with unprecedented change on a global scale on automation, climate change (that this President denies) and of course, healthcare. Denying it, deflecting it and blaming it is not going to solve it–as the President tried to do with a Tweet this morning saying he wants the leakers–as he’s now created a commission that that supposedly is going to go after Voter Fraud chaired by the VP with its’ Vice Chair being that civil liberterian, Secretary of State of Kansas. As for Saudi Arabia, they have a lot to answer for–and they have no credibility as they have been one of the main culprits. I will remind all, for instance, that whatever one may think of the current ruling clique running Iran, you need to listen to some of the debate–Rouhani has repeatedly noted how it is a crime to ignore 50% of the country (that happens to be women). A number of women serve in Rouhani’s Cabinet in senior positions–at least there is a recognition that the rights of women have to be respected and cherished.

    1. mikepouraryan, you may desire a warlord as a President, but I do not. The President should meet with all our enemies and bring about peace.

      1. Thank you @davidm2575 for your comments–the problem is that Erdogran is a thug and a dictator–and we need to make sure we lead by the power of our example–he saw his bodyguards beating up protesters before he walked into his residence. He could have been the true hope of moderate Islam–but he decided to be a dictator….Ataturk is spinning in his grave….

  12. That meeting was held at the request of Russian president Vladimir Putin and then the Russians releases pictures taken by its state-run media organization, Tass, to the embarrassment of the Administration.
    _______________

    It’s so… reassuring… to see Trump DO JUST AS HE’S TOLD BY A RUSSIAN DICTATOR.

    “Donnie… be a good little apparatchik & have my boys over for a nice photo op today…”

    “Yes SIR!!! Can I have TWO scoops of ice cream tonight if I polish their shoes while they’re here?”

    The embarrassment of the Administration? Try the ENTIRE COUNTRY…

  13. I hope the good professor has just as many comparable reservations he will be ready to express when the President goes to Saudi Arabia.

  14. as a Trump supporter” if” this story is true he has gone too far. but maybe now we will find who the leakers are from the Obama administration. whoever leaked this story has to go under oath and tell what he or she knows to be the truth about this.

    1. Yes, the only “problem” here is the leakers–not the toddler in chief who wanted to show off for the Russians how smart the American intelligence community is.

  15. The kind of people who overly concern themselves with “timing”, are the kind of people who put on clean underwear before they go out in case they get in a car accident.

    Squeeky Fromm
    Girl Reporter

      1. Thanks NickS!!!

        My Goodness, but some of these idiots here act like governments don’t share classified information between themselves. What a bunch of low information maroons! Sheeesh, the Russians even give us their classified information sometimes, like in the Boston Bombers case.

        The quality of Democratic Party trolls has really gone down lately. I am personally outraged that this website is getting the dregs of the DNC Operative Barrel!

        Squeeky Fromm
        Girl Reporter

        2. Squeek: re: “The quality of Democratic Party trolls has really gone down lately. I am personally outraged that this website is getting the dregs of the DNC Operative Barrel!”

          2nd that. Correct the Record must not be paying as much =)

          1. Either that, or they realize the smarter Trolls are wasted on us, and are just sending us the Troll Trainees, and the Short Yellow Bus Trolls.

            Its probably the former. There is one bunch of liberals who used to hang out here, who have pretty much given up politics completely, and now just post bad poetry on their website. The Liberal Trolls who are left here, remind me of this thing, which I discovered last week when googling bad theatre:

            https://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/video/bad-conceptual-theater/n11512?snl=1

            Squeeky Fromm
            Girl Reporter

            1. Look, I feel sorry for you. You are probably just a little DNC Troll Intern, and here you are, thrown bodily into a bunch of intelligent and well-spoken conservative types, and you are just getting nowhere. Getting eaten alive, actually, Sooo, let me do a nice thing for you. If you are going to be a respectable troll, the first thing you have to do is have a credible spiel. You have to take whatever dribble it is that you want to purvey, and examine it for flaws.

              For example here, you have jumped on the “Trump released super sekrit information to the Commies!” narrative. But you never bothered to ask yourself, the key question, “WHAT SUPER SEKRIT INFO???” Because, if it is about a bomb plot in Moscow, that is the kind of thing that is routinely shared between governments. I bet the Chinese tell us that sort of stuff, and vice versa.

              Sooo, before you latch onto something, and presume it’s bad, ask yourself the basic questions, sooo you don’t just come off looking stupid.

              Now, get along home and do your homework. Get more sleep, and lay off the mollies. Get more fiber in your diet, and exercise. All these things help proper brain functioning.

              Squeeky Fromm
              Girl Reporter

              2. Do you applaud Putin killing the gays in Chechnya as you applaud Duterte for the murdering of drug addicts in the Philippines? I bet you do.

                1. I’d bet that I don’t worry about Putin killing gays, because gay men kill more gays than Putin ever could, more even than the Nazis killed. And, dumbkopf, it is the drug dealers who are killing drug addicts, which is really pretty simple to figure out. And Duterte is killing drug dealers, and yes I support that. It is the only thing that will work to get rid of the drug dealing killers.

                  That is what I meant when I said you need to spend more time figuring out your stories before you run with them.

                  Squeeky Fromm
                  Girl Reporter

          1. Israel is concerned that the Russians will give the intel to the Iranians. With friends like Trump…..

    3. Like the underwear would still be clean after the car accident…

    4. LOL! Very well put, Squeeky. I like a President who puts his obligations before what other negative things the media might report about him.

      I wish the media would wake up and realize that while they keep looking to cause blood to be spilled in the water and a shark frenzy to occur, it would be more profitable for them to look for silver linings in stories and turn them positive.

  16. What part of “America First” don’t you understand? We’ve had enough of our politicians viewing the world from the vantage of their personal political gains. It’s actually refreshing to have a CIC focusing on his job and not his political future. Maybe you’re pining for the days of LBJ, but I’m not!

    1. Trump puts TRUMP INC first. Maybe you think that is keeping America first. Some apparently worship money and power so much that they are blinded by it.

    3. Agree. It is absolutely refreshing to have an executive instead of a politician as POTUS. Every day I thank God that the America-hating Obama is not still in office.

      1. Keep thanking God when his glorious and unecessary wall, dramatically increased defense spending, and massive tax cuts lead to an immediate end to social security, a national debt that makes Obama’s look like a drop in the bucket (and it’s not to get us out of a financial crisis), and another financial crisis once the bubble of hes a businessman so he might know what he’s doing bursts. I dont wish it, its just becoming readily apparent each day that unlike his predecessor whose main folly was the arab spring aspirations (which would have played out that way regardless) Trump has no idea what he’s doing on anything. And he wants this country to be more like Turkey and Russia where dissenters will be jailed for saying it-yet you claim he loves this country though he wants to kill the main principal we were founded on- our freedom of speech…

      2. You must be as addicted to chaos as the executive is addicted to debt and particularly Russian debt.

  19. We want a working president, not one worried about how he looks to an ivory tower blog writer. Responsibilities don’t wait.

      1. Jk

        Kind of like your responses?
        ————-
        Illegal immigration is down and job openings are up. The cancer that is Hillary is not in,and that is something in I itself.
        MS-13 gang members in Virginia have been deported, Sanctuary cities are being attacked. It takes time to fight the Obama appointed judges,but that’s going on. Tariffs have been applied to Canadian softwood lumber.

        1. You must be one of the dupes that believe Trump’s lies. Illegal immigrations has been on the decline for some years. Job growth and wage increases has been going on for the last half of Obama’s administration. It takes years for this to materialize. Trump has don nothing that can be factually proved other than embarrass America. MS-13 gang members started their stuff in the US in Los Angeles in the early 80’s and were deported under Obama, which unfortunately causes them to recruit local Americans. Tariffs and Canadian softwood lumber have been a contentious topic for decades. The fact of the matter is that the Canadian dollar is way down compared to the US dollar as are the rest of the world’s currencies, so perhaps it is the US dollar that is at fault, you know buying power, cheap gas, cheap TVs, etc. You need to pull your head out from where the sun don’t shine.

      2. nothing, righhht
        Can you say Associate Supreme Court Justice Gorsuch?

        1. Yes, Gorsuch–the “devout Catholic” with the ever-adoring wife with the Holy Spirit pendant prominently hanging out of her blouse. What were the first 2 things this holy man did–voted in favor of denying a stay of execution to two men in Alabama, whose killings were moved up because the illegally-obtained drugs were about to expire. Can you spell HYPOCRITE? In case you don’t know, the Catholic church is adamantly opposed to capital punishment.

    1. If you want stage managed ‘adult (not toddler)’ loved by press core, I suggest you get out VHS tapes of Obama being idolized. But remember, he lied – You can’t keep your doctor and he stole from Fannie-Mae loan program to pay for it.

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