Tuesday, 30 May 2023 20:30
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey, invoking themes of Turkish nationalism and counterterrorism, has been the main obstacle toward Sweden joining the NATO alliance after the Russia-Ukraine conflict. His fierce public opposition played well in his re-election campaign. So did his role as a power broker, vital to NATO but also as an intermediary, able to maintain good relations with both Russia and Ukraine. Now safely re-elected on Sunday as president of Turkey, Mr. Erdogan is expected to project the same image, by tightening his grip on power at home while balancing between his allies inside NATO and his economic dependency on Russia. 214