Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo meets with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Ankara, Turkey on October 17, 2018.

Erdogan’s Neo-Ottoman Aspirations Inspire Islamists

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's once hidden agenda of reviving a modern version of the Ottoman Empire is not so secret in light of recent moves. The world has watched Erdogan use draconian and oppressive methods to beat down domestic critics. The conversion of Hagia Sophia – formerly a Byzantine cathedral – into mosque last month was a symbolic step to inspire Islamists who are longing for a new caliphate. Erdogan's state-controlled media already are calling for the Muslim world's firs...