After pivoting Turkey away from Western allies, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has changed tack with moves that have pleased the U.S. and upset Russia — a turnaround seen aimed partly at reversing his country's economic downturn and boosting foreign investment.
The foreign policy rethink is part of a wider recalibration by Erdogan six weeks after his re-election: He has also changed course on the economy, reversing unorthodox financial policies blamed for Turkey's runaway inflation and collapsing currency.
Erdogan's ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin have weighed on Turkey's relations with its traditional Western allies for years, along with other factors including concern over his increasingly autocratic rule.