Erdogan’s S-400 Trouble Was of His Own Making |
It takes a special kind of leader to spend $2.5 billion on a weapons system, never use it, alienate his most important allies, get kicked out of the world’s most advanced fighter jet program, endure years of sanctions — and then ask the seller for a refund.
Yet here we are. Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan raised the possibility of returning Russia’s S-400 air defense system during his meeting with Vladimir Putin in Turkmenistan last week, according to Bloomberg. The Kremlin has denied any such request was made, which tells you something about how Moscow views the optics of this diplomatic volte-face. Even Putin, not known for sparing the blushes of supplicants, seems embarrassed on Erdogan’s behalf.
The Turkish leader’s predicament is a case study in the perils of allowing domestic political considerations — and personal pique — to override foreign policy and national security. The S-400 saga has been, from start to finish, a monument to poor judgment. And now the bill is coming due.
Cast your mind back to 2017, when Erdogan signed the deal with Moscow. Turkey was in the grip of post-coup paranoia, with the president accusing his NATO allies — the Americans especially — of supporting the plotters of the failed 2016 coup attempt to overthrow him. The accusations served his domestic purposes, stoking nationalist resentment and justifying his........