For some, the G-20 meeting in Turkey Nov. 15 that brought together leaders of the “global elite” was to serve as the coronation for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who was still basking in his party's stunning Nov. 1 election victory. The eyes of the whole world would be focused on the meeting — and Erdogan, as its host. Luminaries were to include US President Barack Obama, Russian President Vladimir Putin, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud, UK Prime Minister David Cameron and French President Francois Hollande.

The summit, held in the Mediterranean resort province of Antalya, would also enable Erdogan to further promote his policies and position on the Syria issue. Turkey has been pushing for a “safe haven” in northern Syria as well as a no-fly zone for a long time.

However, on the night of Nov. 13, the Islamic State (IS) engineered carnage in Paris that would overshadow the event. Hollande canceled his trip to the summit.

Nonetheless, at the end of the summit, if one tried to decipher the meeting's outcome based solely on Erdogan’s remarks, one could have easily concluded that Turkey’s strongman had his way with the international system. He conveyed the idea that a consensus was reached on the points he took up, all of which were already familiar to Turkish ears.