Erdogan lands in bali after Istanbul blast
TURKISH President Recep Tayyip Erdogan touched down in Bali, Indonesia, to attend the G20 summit, hours after his home city of Istanbul was rocked by an explosion.
Erdogan said before he departed Turkye that the “vile attack” that killed at least six people in the heart of the city had “a smell of terror”.
Erdogan comes to Bali with an unexpected boost from the role he’s played securing global grain supplies during Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Erdogan’s burgeoning reputation as a power broker wasn’t a given when Russia invaded Ukraine in February, threatening the balancing act the Turkish leader has kept up between Moscow, Ukraine and his own Nato allies since at least 2016.
Yet as he arrives at the G20, Erdogan appears increasingly confident of his place at the table. He’s more sought after for his ties to Putin, and more sure of re-election in a vote next year, as his offshore exploits help put a floor under previously waning domestic support.