Skip to main content

Bolton memoir paints Erdogan, Trump as kindred spirits

In his new memoir, former national security adviser John Bolton reveals just how tangled Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's foreign policies are with US President Donald Trump.
U.S. President Donald Trump is depicted as border barrier opener for Turkey's President Recip Tayyip Erdogan, who sits on a tank, during a sneak preview for the upcoming Rose Monday carnival parade in Cologne, Germany, February 18, 2020. REUTERS/Wolfgang Rattay - RC213F97TGLM

US President Donald Trump’s former national security adviser John Bolton’s bombshell memoir classes Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the same group with Russia’s strongman Vladimir Putin and China’s Xi Jinping.

As expected, in his 577-page memoir titled “The Room Where It Happened: A White House Memoir,” Bolton describes Erdogan as a “dictator,” likening him to Italy’s fascist leader Benito Mussolini. Bolton provides a first-hand account of several phone calls between Erdogan and US President Donald Trump. 

Access the Middle East news and analysis you can trust

Join our community of Middle East readers to experience all of Al-Monitor, including 24/7 news, analyses, memos, reports and newsletters.

Subscribe

Only $100 per year.