The odd couple

摘要

THE KREMLIN has accused NATO of trying to overthrow Vladimir Putin. It has portrayed Alexei Navalny, Mr Putin's most prominent challenger, as America's agent. It has called the European Union, which condemned Mr Navalny's poisoning and subsequent imprisonment, an "unreliable partner". But there is one NATO country, and candidate EU member, that Mr Putin is happy with: Turkey. Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkey's president, has said nothing about the mistreatment of Mr Navalny or the arrests of thousands of Russians who protested against it. His silence is testimony to a remarkable entente that has developed between the two authoritarian leaders. It is an improbable relationship. Deep historical rivalries divide Russia and Turkey, and their interests collide, sometimes violently, in many areas. Yet the two men share a bond in hard power that is reshaping regional politics and posing awkward problems for Turkey's Western allies.