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Does Turkey's Erdogan expect more gain than pain from ditching EU?

As the April 16 referendum approaches, Turkey's president is trying to whip his supporters into a frenzy by lashing out at Europe, spewing epithets and pledging to reinstate the death penalty.
Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan delivers a speech during a rally against terrorism in Strasbourg, France, October 4, 2015. Some 30000 supporters coming from several countries including France, Germany, and Switzerland gathered in Strasbourg on Sunday to listen to Turkish President Erdogan's address. REUTERS/Vincent Kessler   - RTS2Z0D

Until the fateful date of April 16, when the Turkish people will vote on whether to expand the powers of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, there won’t be a single day that he refrains from slamming the European Union as an institution and Europeans in general. For each day that he thrashes them, he further consolidates Turkish nationalism as the main ingredient to ensure his victory.

On March 21, he was being as provocative and vitriolic as possible to upset his European counterparts after Germany and the Netherlands banned Turkish-organized rallies designed to raise support for Erdogan's referendum.

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