Turkey: Ergodan Has Badly Overplayed His Hand in the Khashoggi Affair by Con Coughlin  •  October 5, 2019 at 5:00 am          Mr Erdogan, who has been the main driving force behind efforts to cause the Saudis maximum discomfort, now has an abundance of problems of his own, challenges which could spell the end of his 16-years in charge. After Mr Erdogan's Islamist AKP party lost badly in last April's mayoral election for control of Istanbul, the Turkish leader now finds himself trying desperately to salvage Turkey's battered economy, where the currency is in free fall, foreign debts remain vast, and inflation and joblessness are alarmingly high. Many Turks blame their country's plight on Mr Erdogan's obsession with pursuing his radical Islamist agenda, which includes supporting groups like the Muslim Brotherhood. Many prefer him to concentrate instead on addressing their domestic concerns, a view the Turkish president would be well-advised to take on board if he intends to remain in power. If Mr Erdogan's aim throughout this process was to cause the Saudi Crown Prince maximum embarrassment, the ploy has failed miserably. (Photo by Stephanie Keith/Getty Images) A year after the brutal murder of Saudi dissident Jamal Khashoggi, attempts by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to exploit the controversy to boost his own political standing have back-fired. Ever since Mr Khashoggi was murdered moments after entering the Saudi Arabian consulate in Istanbul in October last year to obtain documentation for his forthcoming marriage, Mr Erdogan has skilfully exploited the incident to cause maximum embarrassment to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, whom he regards as one of his major regional rivals. Ankara has been at loggerheads with Riyadh ever since the Muslim Brotherhood, a key ally of Mr Erdogan, came to power in Egypt in 2012, a move bitterly resisted by the Saudis, who regard the Brotherhood as a terrorist organisation. Continue Reading Article