Politics
As Russian Missiles Arrive in Turkey, Erdogan Crosses a Rubicon
- Assault on Central Bank independence compounds risk to economy
- Turkey’s capacity to thrive alone could now be put to the test
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By taking delivery of Russian air-defense systems, Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has crossed a second political Rubicon in as many weeks at the risk of lasting damage to his country’s economy and relationship with the West.
That’s partly by design: Erdogan has long sought to transform the Westward-facing Turkish republic that emerged from the former Ottoman Empire. His aim is to reshape Turkey as a distinctively Muslim power, less dependent on U.S. weapons systems and security guarantees, and no longer in thrall to Western credit markets and values.