Erdogan Bets World Will Turn a Blind Eye to Turmoil in Turkey
After his biggest political rival was jailed, the president is banking on his NATO allies needing Turkey more than they need a fight over its democracy.
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When Turkey jailed Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s biggest rival at the weekend, thousands of protesters took to the streets. Notably less vocal were the country’s Western allies.
The Turkish president and commander of NATO’s second-biggest army is banking on the world needing him more than it needs to join a fight over the country’s democracy. With the US and Europe preoccupied with security challenges, Erdogan has positioned himself as a key power broker from Ukraine to the conflict zones of the Middle East and Africa.