I enjoyed reading the article, "Trump and the Sultan" by Thomas L Friedman (July 21). I agree with Friedman that if Donald Trump wins the race to the White House it will be a sad day for America. I would go a step further and say it will be a sad day for India and the world, too.
However, Friedman errs when he compares Trump with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Erdogan, the "Sultan", might be guilty of trampling on democratic institutions in his country, but even Friedman doesn't deny that he achieved a lot for Turkey's economy, especially in his first five years in office.
To this, let me add that, with his tough tactics, Erdogan has managed to maintain peace and discipline in a country that could have easily drifted - the way many Muslim-majority countries have - towards fundamentalism and its disastrous consequences. One must give the devil his due. A price has to be paid for everything. Let's look at Erdogan's strictness as just that.
The fact that people of Turkey stopped the coup risking their lives speaks volumes about the mass support Erdogan enjoys. That is not the case with Trump.
Krishan Kalra, Gurgaon
Letters can be mailed, faxed or e-mailed to:
The Editor, Business Standard
Nehru House, 4 Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg
New Delhi 110 002
Fax: (011) 23720201
E-mail: letters@bsmail.in
All letters must have a postal address and telephone number
