Wearing full military fatigues for the first time, President Erdogan of Turkey has been rallying his troops on the Syrian border as his transformation from Islamist upstart to war leader appears to be complete.
Images of the uniformed strongman visiting army units in Hatay province, which borders Syria’s Afrin region, were posted to his AK Party’s Facebook page. When Mr Erdogan, who usually wears a suit, became prime minister 15 years ago, he promised to quell the might of the military.
Now, before elections that will either cement his grip on power or result in him being ousted, he is using Turkey’s war against Kurds in northern Syria to whip up nationalist support.
“Nationalism is the biggest election winner in Turkey at the moment,” Guney