International | Champion of the umma Who speaks for the Muslim world? There are many contenders, but Turkey’s president leads the pack Share Photograph: Getty Images Feb 26th 2026 | ANKARA and ISLAMABAD | 8 min read W HETHER speaking to a small group or a mass rally, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkey’s president, often appears to have a bigger audience in mind than the people right in front of him.

A talk he gave in mid-February, on the eve of Ramadan, the Muslim holy month, seemed addressed in parts not to the 80 provincial governors who had convened at his palace in Ankara, but to the world’s nearly 2bn Muslims.

“May the umma not be crushed by the divisions that have lasted for ages,” he said, referring to the global community of Muslims.

“If only we cling tightly to our brotherhood, to our brothers, to our faith and to our dreams, then, by the permission of Allah, there will be no trap we cannot break.

” This article appeared in the International section of the print edition under the headline “Who speaks for the Islamic world?” From the February 28th 2026 edition Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contents ⇒ Explore the edition Share Reuse this content More from International The War Room newsletter: Do ceasefires actually work? Richard Cockett, a senior editor, considers whether one is possible in Ukraine The Telegram A stay-calm plan to save the world Alas, almost no foreign leader is as reasonable as Finland’s president, Alexander Stubb The War Room newsletter: What is Donald Trump’s aim for Iran? Shashank Joshi, our defence editor, analyses the president’s options The Telegram Donald Trump’s envoys failed to reassure Europe A gathering of world leaders in Munich shows how trust has collapsed The Robin Hood state is coming for the rich Tax systems are more progressive than you think Inside Jeffrey Epstein’s network What 1. 4m emails reveal about America’s most notorious sex offender

Highlighted sentences link to their corresponding claims. Click any highlighted sentence to jump to its detailed analysis.
Highlight Colors Indicate Claim Quality:
✓ Healthy Claim - No fallacies or contradictions detected
⚠️ Minor Issues - Has contradictions or minor fallacies
🚨 Serious Issues - Multiple contradictions or severe fallacies
Quality Criteria: Claims are evaluated for logical fallacies and contradictions with other news sources. Green highlights indicate healthy claims suitable for reference.
Source