To the Editor:

Re “Tensions Mount Between Ankara and Washington” (front page, Aug. 11):

Let me get this straight. Last year President Recep Tayyip Erdogan looked on while his thuggish bodyguards assaulted American citizens peacefully protesting in Washington, and President Trump did nothing. This year, Mr. Erdogan ordered the Turkish military into northern Syria to attack and drive out the Kurds, our staunch allies in the struggle against ISIS, while warning that American troops stationed with the Kurds risked receiving an “Ottoman slap” if they interfered, and Mr. Trump did nothing.

However, now that a single American evangelical minister in Turkey is charged with espionage, Mr. Trump imposes strong sanctions and tweets, “Our relations with Turkey are not good at this time !” How could they have possibly been considered “good” previously? Once again, the president blatantly panders to his fundamentalist base.

Dennis Middlebrooks

Brooklyn

To the Editor:

It is inevitable that Turkey and the United States will be at loggerheads, not because they have major disagreements over policies, but because they have two egocentric leaders who feel that whatever they do is right and who cannot take any criticism.

Inevitably the two will have a difference of opinion over a relatively small matter. Since they cannot be seen as “weak,” they will escalate the disagreement. The same will ultimately happen with Russia and China. All are led by “strongmen” who have an ego that is bound to conflict over some matter with President Trump’s ego.