Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s reliance on Russia to secure Ankara’s demands in Syria has hit a stone wall in Idlib. Turkish-Russian ties may be entering a new phase marked by latent tensions after the air attack on a Turkish military convoy Aug. 19 in the northwestern Syrian province. This would also end the honeymoon between the two countries, which got an added boost with Turkey’s purchase of Russian-made S-400 air defense systems.
Turkey’s job with the United States is not any easier. Ankara is trying to overcome its differences with Washington over the presence of American-backed Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) fighters east of the Euphrates River.
