President Erdogan's exasperation

Recep Tayyip Erdogan's puzzlement at the fact that, at the recent EU-Turkey summit, European leaders brought up Turkey's detention of two Greek soldiers but not the case of eight Turks whose extradition is demanded by Ankara, is easily explained and revealing. Not because his exasperation is justified but because it shows the ever widening gap between himself and the essence of the rule of law.

"It is not consistent with justice [to have] those who insist so much on the issue of the two soldiers avoid any reference to the extradition of the Turkish servicemen, who were involved in the coup and then fled to Greece," Erdogan told journalists on the plane returning from Varna, Hurriyet reported. "Of course," he added, "we are not linking the two issues." Referring to the eight alleged coup-plotters, he criticized the EU leaders, saying, "Yet those who have said nothing about...