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Admitting he’s committed to toppling Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, 62-year-old Recept Tayyip Erdogan roiled Russian President Vladimir Putin. Since Sept. 30, 2015, Putin joined the fight to save al-Assad, providing Syria with relentless air strikes against rebels backed by Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the U.S. With Turkey downing a Russian warplane Nov. 24, 2015, Erdogan’s practically stood on his head to restore Turkey-Russian relations. Erdogan came dangerously close to military confrontation with Russia, registering a red light to NATO, requiring the mutual defense treaty to defend Turkey from foreign attack. Erdogan’s had a bad year with a failed July 16 putsch but forcing Erdogan to crack down with unofficial martial law. Erdogan’s post-coup crackdown prompted the European Commission Nov. 24 to suspend Turkey’s 11-year-old EU membership bid.

Rebuffed by German Chancellor Angela Merkel Nov. 30 who said that Turkey’s bid for EU membership is over for the foreseeable future due to anti-Democratic actions taken post-coup. Erdgogan showed his mercurial side speaking publicly about his undying commitment to topple al-Assad. Seeking rapprochement with Russia, Erdogan knows that Putin is al-Assad’s biggest backer, trying to find some common ground after nearly going to war against Russia last November. Erdogan wants a ceasefire in Aleppo where Syrian troops with Russian air support have practically wiped out Saudi, Turkish and U.S.-backed rebels. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu echoed Erdogan’s mixed signals about Syria, insisting Turkey had not changed its position on regime change in Damascus. Erdogan has his own agenda in Turkey, largely going after his archenemy, the Kurds.

Erdogan’s Turkey has become a Stalinist state, marked by persecuting the free press, arresting suspected spies and dissidents and oppressing anything related to Democratic reforms. With the EU no longer a viable option for Turkey, Erdogan needs Russia more than ever, looking desperately for economic partnerships with Asia. “A cease fire must be achieved in all of Syria, notably Aleppo,” said Cavusoglu, hoping to save what’s left of Turkey-backed Syrian rebels. Putin and al-Assad are in an all out push to rid Aleppo of Saudi, U.S. and Turkey-backed terrorists seeking to topple the Damascus regime. Meeting with Lavrov, Cavusoglu knows that there will be no ceasefire until all rebels leave Aleppo. After battling the Saudi-funded Arab Spring since March 15, 2011, Russia, Syria, with Iranian support, al-Assad’s getting closer to restoring sovereignty in Syria.

Less than two months from leaving office, Obama’s failed Syrian policy drove U.S.-Russian relations to their lowest point since the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis. Sen. John McCain (R-Az.), chairman of the Armed Service Committee, urged Obama Oct. 12 to set up a dangerous no-fly zone. McCain insisted violators of the no-fly zone risked losing their aircraft, including Russia and Syria. President-elect Donald Trump seeks to reset U.S.-Russian relations, ending the Obama policy of supplying cash-and-arms to Syrian rebels. Trump wants to back Russian efforts in Syria and join forces to destroy the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria [ISIS]. If Trump picks former GOP nominee Mass. Gov. Mitt Romney, he might it difficult to back Trump’s foreign policy. Romney said debating Obama in 2012 that Russia, not Islamic terrorism, was the biggest threat to U.S. national security.

Before Trump hands Secretary of State to Romney, he needs 100% reassurance that the 69-year-old Salt Lake City-based businessman would back his foreign policy of improving relations with Moscow. Trump opposes sending cash-and-arms to any terror groups in Syria, watching much of U.S. firepower fall into the wrong hands. Erdogan’s backing of Syrian rebels presents problems for Turkish-Russian relations. War hawks on Capitol Hill, led by McCain, won’t take kindly to Trump improving U.S.-Russian relations. Spending years under Obama ripping the Russians, it’s going to be difficult for Neocons to change directions. Trump wants to improve relations with Moscow to confront big challenges facing U.S. foreign policy. Bogged down in Mosul, the U.S.-backed Iraqi and Kurdish coalition needs all the help it can get to defeat ISIS in Mosul and next Raqqa, Syria.

Erdogan doesn’t seem to know who he’s for-and-against in Syria. Finding himself moving away from the EU, Erdogan needs Russia more than ever, no longer able to trust the EU and U.S. when it comes to securing his power in Turkey. Erdogan throws a monkey wrench into U.S. plans to defeat ISIS when he goes after the Kurds. Attacking the Kurdistan Workers Party [PKK] or Kurdish Protection Units [YPG] in Syria, Erdogan attacks U.S. allies working to defeat ISIS. When Trump comes to power Jan. 20, 2017, Erdogan will find him on the same page as Putin, leaving al-Assad in Damascus. Continued interference with the Kurds in Iraq and Syria won’t help Erdogan’s standing in Washington or Moscow. Before Erdogan isolates Turkey from the U.S. and Russia, he needs to get on the same page and rethink his attacks on the Kurds in Iraq and Syria.