Interviews with Prof Daniel Pipes
Copyright: (December 12, 2015)
http://www.danielpipes.org/16332/why-erdogan-decided-to-shoot-down-a-russian-plane
Republication at RIEAS (www.rieas.gr) on 13 December 2015.
The editors of Aydınlık, a Turkish newspaper, asked me a number of questions about the shoot-down of the Russian plane on Nov. 24. I replied to the questions and sent in my replies on Nov. 27 but did not hear back. So, over two weeks later, I am providing them here, as I wrote them, in English.
As relations between the Turkish and American governments have worsened in recent years, Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has sought improved relations with Russia and (to a lesser extent) China. With the shoot-down of the Russian SU-24 warplane, Erdoğan has seemingly thrown away this option. Why? Read more