Erdogan’s Other Rapprochement: Russia

It was a big week for reconciling with blustery Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, with both Israel and Russia healing its rifts. In addition to the well-publicized rapprochement approved by the Israelis on Tuesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin lifted travel restrictions on Turkey some seven months after Ankara shot down a Turkish fighter jet. The two leaders talked by phone after which Putin ordered a resumption of passenger flights to Turkey and the sale of tourism packages as well. Still to come is the halt on shipments of food products. Erdogan, however, wasted no time in asking Putin to go all the way. He said he’s asking Putin for the full “normalization of general trade and economic ties with Turkey.”