Recep Tayyip Erdogan is a mainstream Islamic leader with a vision of a revived Ottoman Empire. His declaration that “Our God commands us to be violent to the kuffar” is in keeping with normative Islam, as pointed out in the article below. But violence against the kuffar continues to be ignored as an aberration of Islam, thus giving the enemies of the West an advantage in their jihad against the kuffar.

Erdogan says: “Our God commands us to be violent towards the kuffar (infidels). Who are we? The ummah [nation] of Mohammed. So [God] also commands us to be merciful to each other. So we will be merciful to each other. And we will be violent to the kuffar. Like in Syria.” That statement is based on this Qur’an verse: “Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah; and those with him are forceful against the disbelievers, merciful among themselves.” (Qur’an 48:29)

“Erdogan: ‘Our God commands us to be violent to the kuffar,” by Uzay Bulut, Arutz Sheva, November 15, 2019: