My question to decision makers around the world is this: What is it going to take for you to realise that the appeasement of a corrupt despot who imprisons journalists, opposition leaders and minorities (mostly Kurds), has allowed ISIS access to hospitals and cafes in Istanbul, has blatantly killed ethnic Kurds within Turkey and in Syria, has denigrated women, been investigated for embezzlement and corruption, fired more than 100,000 teachers, police, professors who he deemed colluders with Fethullah Gülen, and vehemently denies the genocide of Armenians, Assyrians, and Greeks, and on and on, will only lead to further devastation within his country and destabilisation within the whole region and the world?



Seriously, what are you waiting for? Another genocide perhaps?

Successive US administrations along with the UK have allowed this maniac appeasement in return for supposed geopolitical advantage while Erdogan plays Putin, Trump and everyone else against each other. He's called European leaders Nazis for not allowing him and his cabinet members to give speeches to minority Turks in Europe while doing away with free speech in Turkey altogether.

Hitler was appeased until he invaded Poland, and by some even thereafter, as we all know from our not-so-ancient history.



When is it time to say enough? That we're not going to appease a tyrant for trade, perceived geopolitical advantage, sale of military Apache helicopters (in the case of the US), or whatever?

New Zealand is not the US. We do not have to follow the Five Eyes wherever they roam. We have a proud history of independence, rational policies and need to take the higher moral road.

So if the Erdogan government tries to appease our Foreign Affairs Minister, Winston Peters, with Orwellian double-speak, or tries to bribe us by offering to buy more goods or services, etc, we should simply say no!