Opinion: The Erdogan-Trump rivalry turns dangerous
Turkey is a country in crisis, the Lira’s freefall being a case in point. President Erdogan needs to tackle this, but a diplomatic row with the US could force him to go against his nature, writes DW’s Seda Serdar.
Every day the pressure on Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is increasing. He is being dogged by a worsening economy, the unresolved Syria conflict, the case of Pastor Andrew Brunson and most recently by US President Donald Trump’s decision to block the delivery of fighter jets to Turkey.
Instead of finding a solution, Turkey chose to retaliate by increasing import tariffs on certain US products. But to deescalate the tension, Erdogan could and should end up doing something he’s not used to: take a step back and free Pastor Brunson.
To continue reading, please visit dw.de
