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Has Europe had enough of Erdogan?

A crisis in relations with Germany could have significant strategic and geopolitical implications for Turkey and its future.

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German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Turkey's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan address the media after talks in Berlin, Feb. 4, 2014. — REUTERS/Tobias Schwarz

The collision between Turkey and the European Union (EU) was not unexpected, arriving as it did before mid-May. Now, attention has turned to the next looming crisis, between Ankara and Berlin.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel is not only the head of a leading European country who has stood firm against mounting domestic and foreign criticism of the deal she masterminded with Turkey to curb the flow of refugees into the Schengen zone. Merkel is also the de facto leader of the European Union. The deterioration of the relationship between Turkey and Germany will have a very strong imprint on the already troubled relations between Ankara and Brussels.

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