WSJ: Europe is turning a blind eye to Erdogan's repression because it needs Turkey
Kyiv • UNN
The crisis between the US and Ukraine's allies in the EU underscores the importance of Turkey's defense industry for European security. Europe is forced to turn a blind eye to Erdogan's repression.

The crisis between Washington and Ukraine's European allies has underscored the importance of Turkey's defense industry to the continent's security. This is stated in a material from The Wall Street Journal, reports UNN.
Details
The author points out that in the past, Turkey's suppression of democratic opposition would have provoked strong protests from Europe.
But now the worst split in transatlantic relations in generations and the growing threat from Russia outweigh these concerns
It is noted that with the second largest army in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and a powerful defense industry, Turkey is crucial to European security at a time when US President Donald Trump's administration is seeking a broad understanding with the Kremlin and treats its European allies with open hostility.
When European leaders began planning security cooperation without the US after a disastrous meeting at the White House between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Turkish officials took center stage. In the new European Union White Paper on Defence, which describes a massive rearmament of Europe, Turkey, along with the UK, Norway and Canada, was named a key partner in ensuring European security
European countries simply cannot afford the luxury of focusing too closely on the situation in Turkey at home, with an existential threat from Russia and an increasingly hostile Washington, according to Nico Lange, a former senior German Defense Ministry official and senior fellow at the Munich Security Conference.
"Europeans come from a tradition where they imagine themselves to be highly moral guys who do the right things only with the right partner based on democracy and a rules-based order. But now a grown-up geopolitical approach to security has to seek compromises. It is in our interest to work with Turkey on security
The author summarizes that Europe is turning a blind eye to the repression of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan because it needs Turkey.
Recall
A week after the start of demonstrations in Turkey against the imprisonment of popular Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, the Turkish opposition is calling for an expansion of protests to increase pressure on President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The Istanbul Municipal Council has elected an interim mayor. Meanwhile, the US authorities have expressed concern over the arrest and mass protests in Turkey.
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