Ankara ¨C Before traveling to Moscow last week, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres stopped over in Ankara to meet Recep Tayyip Erdogan and praise the Turkish leader¡¯s diplomatic efforts to end the war in Ukraine.
Less than two hours after the two shook hands, a big part of the goodwill that Ankara has engendered in the West through its unique role as mediator between warring parties was undone, undermining Turkey¡¯s chances of capitalizing on thawing ties.
The turning point came when an Istanbul court sentenced a philanthropist, Osman Kavala, to life in jail for his role in anti-government protests in 2013, in defiance of Western calls to free him in a closely watched case many see as politically motivated.
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