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Erdogan could not run in the November general elections because of a conviction for inciting religious hatred

This does not give me a warm and fuzzy feeling.

Ah. You're forgetting: only the good guys get punished for things like that. It's like Hate Speech, Racism, and "wanting to starve the children" in America... they only apply to conservatives.

From what I heard on the radio, Erdogan read a poem that was sort of a "Kill the infidels" type of poem - you know how the religion of peace is - how they get sometimes. Apparently reading this poem resulted in Erdogan being convicted for what must equate to "hate crime" or "hate speech" in Turkey.

Upon being elected to his current position (party leader? something else?) Erdogan gave a speech and stated that it was "poetic justice" that he had won. The line about "poetic justice" was interpreted as a not-so-subtle "F you" to those who had tried to stop him with the hatred issue before. This guy Erdogan, almost seems like a Turkish version of Khomeini - a relgious hardliner assuming tremendous power in a large and previously secular nation.

To me none of this looks good.