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Erdoğan finally congratulates Biden on election win

Photo: Adem Altan/AFP via Getty Images

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan congratulated President-elect Joe Biden on Tuesday for his projected victory in the 2020 election.

Why it matters: Erdoğan was one of the major leaders who had yet to congratulate Biden, in addition to Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador and Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro.

  • Even amid a tricky few years for U.S.-Turkey relations, Erdoğan and Trump have maintained a strong personal relationship.
  • They’ve spoken regularly, and the Turkish strongman appeared to have significant influence over Trump, including on Syria policy.

What he's saying: "I reiterate our determination to work closely with the U.S. Administration in this direction in the upcoming period, and I believe that the strong cooperation and alliance between our countries will continue to contribute to world peace in the future as it has been until today," Erdoğan said in a statement.

The big picture: While most world leaders ignored Trump’s protestations and congratulated Biden shortly after his victory was declared on Saturday, so far only four Senate Republicans have acknowledged the outcome of the election.

  • Governments around the world are preparing to work with Biden, yet some have stayed silent to avoid provoking Trump in the final weeks of his presidency.

Go deeper: As Trump fights the transition in D.C., the world moves on to Biden

Go deeper

Ursula Perano
Jan 19, 2021 - Politics & Policy

Trump gives farewell address: "We did what we came here to do"

Photo: Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images

President Trump gave a farewell video address on Tuesday, saying that his administration "did what we came here to do — and so much more."

Why it matters, via Axios' Alayna Treene: The address is very different from the Trump we've seen in his final weeks as president — one who has refused to accept his loss, who peddled conspiracy theories that fueled the attack on the Capitol, and who is boycotting his successor's inauguration. 

Go deeper (1 min. read)Arrow
Jonathan Swan, Zachary Basu
Jan 20, 2021 - Politics & Policy
Off the Rails

Episode 7: Trump turns on Pence

Photo illustration: Eniola Odetunde/Axios. Photos: Elijah Nouvelage, Alex Wong/Getty Images

Beginning on election night 2020 and continuing through his final days in office, Donald Trump unraveled and dragged America with him, to the point that his followers sacked the U.S. Capitol with two weeks left in his term. Axios takes you inside the collapse of a president with a special series.

Episode 7: Trump turns on Pence. Trump believes the vice president can solve all his problems by simply refusing to certify the Electoral College results. It's a simple test of loyalty: Trump or the U.S. Constitution.

"The end is coming, Donald."

The male voice in the TV ad boomed through the White House residence during "Fox & Friends" commercial breaks. Over and over and over. "The end is coming, Donald. ... On Jan. 6, Mike Pence will put the nail in your political coffin."

Go deeper (9 min. read)Arrow
Margaret Talev, Mike Allen
Jan 20, 2021 - Politics & Policy

Biden embarks on a consequential presidency

Photo illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios. Photo: Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Donald Trump tried everything to delegitimize the rival who vanquished him. In reality, he's set Joe Biden on course to be a far more consequential U.S. president than he might otherwise have become.

The big picture: President Biden now confronts not just a pandemic, but massive political divisions and an assault on truth — and the aftermath of the assault on the Capitol two weeks ago that threatened democracy itself.

Go deeper (2 min. read)Arrow

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