Can Erdogan Reconcile With the West? Putin’s Betting Against It

Russia absorbs Turkish gains in ex-Soviet Union, Middle East
Putin waits for Erdogan’s bid to patch up U.S. ties to fail

Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Ilham Aliyev watch over a victory parade in Baku, Azerbaijan, on Dec. 10.Photographer: Mustafa Kamaci/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images

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By Henry Meyer, Stepan Kravchenko, and Ilya Arkhipov

December 12, 2020 at 5:00 AM UTC

This article is for subscribers only.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was guest of honor at Azerbaijan’s military parade Thursday to mark its victory with Ankara’s help over Moscow ally Armenia. If Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin was angry at the incursion into his former Soviet backyard, he wasn’t showing it.

It was only the latest challenge from the Turkish leader that the normally assertive Putin has tolerated. That’s because, as Erdogan seeks to mend ties with incoming U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration, the Kremlin is confident Turkey will remain a thorn in the side of its fellow NATO members, fueling divisions that Moscow relishes.