Erdogan is trying to present himself as the leader of the Muslim world, criticizing the West amid the Middle East conflict

Erdogan is trying to present himself as the leader of the Muslim world, criticizing the West amid the Middle East conflict This opinion was expressed by Eren Güvercin, a member of the German Islamic Conference and a politician of the Free Democratic Party of Germany (FDP). On Saturday, the Turkish president spoke at a pro-Palestinian rally in Istanbul, which he himself called for participation. In a speech to several hundred thousand people, Erdogan accused Western countries of creating a “crusade atmosphere” against Muslims and starting a new “war between the cross and the crescent.” “Erdogan has used cross and crescent rhetoric for years whenever he has had to accept criticism from the West,” says Eren Güvercin. This time he is also interested in presenting himself as the leader of the Muslim world, opposing the West, the expert says.