Taking Turkey Seriously
Turkey is at a historical crossroads after the July putsch, with political polarization supplanted, for now, by unity in defense of democracy. But if the West doesn't intensify its diplomatic engagement with Turkey during its time of need, the country could slip back toward authoritarianism and division.
STOCKHOLM – Istanbul, in western Turkey, is one of Europe’s great cities. As Constantinople, it was the capital of the Roman and Byzantine Empires, and after its capture and renaming by Mehmed II in 1453, it served as the capital of the Ottoman Empire for nearly another 500 years.