Turkey's 'foreign martyrs'

Turkish politics is struggling harder and harder to go beyond the title of "Absurdistan." Sadly, not even the sky is the limit. 
 
It is no secret that President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan worships the notion of the "national will," the sanctity of elected officials and, therefore, their decisions. But he only worships the will of the Turkish nation - and only when he wins at the ballot box. 
 
The will of the Old Continent last week overwhelmingly voted, in a non-binding resolution, in favor of suspending the European Union's accession talks with Turkey. Mr. Erdoğan said he could not care less. Suddenly, the will of the nation(s) had lost its appeal. It is the same old Islamist hypocrisy: Support majoritarianism in lands where Muslims make up the majority and support pluralism in lands where they are in minority. 
 
News reporting on Turkish affairs increasingly creates news stories that make readers think the text must have appeared on The Onion, not, for instance, in this newspaper. For instance, take EU Minister Omer Çelik, who recently lashed out at Austrian Chancellor Christian Kern for promoting "extreme right wing and racist" sentiment. Promoting extreme right wing and racist sentiment? Funny, Mr. Çelik speaks like he is a minister in New Zealand. 
 
Or take the opening line in a news story in this newspaper, not from The Onion, "The Turkish defense minister has condemned Austria's arms embargo on Turkey, saying the decision will fuel motivation in Turkish industry to produce indigenous arms." No one, apparently, thought about asking the honorable minister why he condemned the Austria's arms embargo if it will result in something so cheerful for Turkey's local defense industry. 
 
The Austrian Foreign Ministry missed the...