What happens when strongmen meet? We know that the world is slowly filling up with populist nationalists, from Manila to Washington. Will they join forces against the sanctimonious, supra-national powers that dismay them all? Or will they compete, as erstwhile tough guys seem most comfortable doing? Perhaps we shouldn't be surprised if they find an entirely different way to frame their international engagement, one sure to puzzle, infuriate and sometimes amuse onlookers.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday confirmed that his country had launched an aid campaign to help four East African countries currently hit by an acute drought. According to Erdogan, Turkey’s effort was aimed at helping Kenya, Ethiopia, South Sudan, Somalia and Yemen, all of who are "at risk of suffering a major humanitarian crisis." "We cannot afford to turn a blind eye to requests for help from those countries where the drought-related hunger has reached critical levels," he said in a tweet.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan have pledged further cooperation in the fight against terrorism during Merkel’s visit to Ankara, while the German leader also stressed the impartiality of her country’s courts regarding the extradition of Turkish coup attempt suspects. 

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has become a leader nobody in the West is eager to host, has decided to steer toward countries with leaders he thinks might understand him: Uganda, Kenya and Somalia. [...] It's become a tradition for Erdogan to begin his foreign travels with much fanfare and overdone public relations campaigns.

Washington wants Erdoğan to do more to back the Kurds in Kobani, while Ankara insists Assad should be removed first.
 

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan rode around Google headquarters last spring in the company's self-driving car, tried on Google Glass eyewear and vowed to keep digitizing the economy in the country he has ruled since 2003.

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey has called Twitter “the worst menace to society” and a tool of foreign conspirators. For good measure, he has also accused it of evading taxes.