The Dangerous Neo-Ottomans and the Great Bat Ye'or: A Conversation with Alexandre del Valle, Part II An empire always seeks to expand its influence. For Erdoğan, asking Turkish Muslims to integrate into the values of their host countries amounts to attacking the Turks' Islamic identity. Alexandre del Valle: Erdoğan's Turkey is definitely a danger -- comparable to the Ottoman Empire. Turkey therefore presents itself as the only great Eurasian Muslim country capable of embodying the leadership of European Islam. For Erdoğan, asking Turkish Muslims to integrate into the values of their host countries amounts to attacking the Turks' Islamic identity.