“By Allah’s will, Jerusalem belongs to the Kurds, the Turks, the Arabs, and to all Muslims,” Davutoglu declared.  “And as our forefathers fought side by side at Gallipoli and just as our forefathers went together to liberate Jerusalem with Saladin, we will march on the same path to liberate Jerusalem.  The Turkish government does not differentiate from East to West.  We intend to put together all of the regions of our nations and we will bring these regions back together.”

Erdogan’s speech was even more grandiose.   He proclaimed himself to be the reincarnation of Saladin, who will kick whom he perceives to be the modern day crusaders out of Jerusalem by uniting the Muslim world behind him by hinting at the re-establishment of the Ottoman Empire: “I am sure that the great commander Saladin is bringing together all of the peoples of the Middle East into the one army that defeated the Crusaders.  Saladin is currently witnessing what we are doing here spiritually.  I was in his spiritual presence and I am addressing him here in Hakkari with the mighty men, be it eastern, brave south-eastern, valiant Anatolian in Old Turkey.”

“Jerusalem is for the Muslims and not for Israel,” Erdogan added.  “Why should we continue to be friends with those that stomped their boots on the Temple Mount?  They insist that we have to be friends?  I say, we will not.”   Erdogan promised to follow in Saladin’s footsteps: “They all promise you O Saladin, if you united the brothers in the Middle East, so will we.  Saladin said ‘Jerusalem is not for the Crusaders.’  Saladin witnessed this.  Allah witnesses this.  One people, one flag, one nation and one state!”

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Erdogan’s last line in the above article is almost straight from the mouth of Adolf Hitler: “Ein volk, Ein Reich, Ein Fuhrer!”  I doubt Israel could expect much better from him if he did conquer Jerusalem.  Though I still don’t assume Erdogan is the Antichrist, these statements do get my attention and point to a future role for Turkey in a restored Islamic Caliphate such as ISIS has already declared.