> "Western intelligence agencies have generally regarded their Turkish counterparts as reliable on domestic matters."

I struggle to believe the author wrote this with a straight face. Are these the same reliable intelligence services that just help purged half the Army officer corps, Judiciary and Turkey's teachers because they are conspiring with a religious leader in the USA? [0] I am quite sure they would point fingers at whoever Erdogan wanted a finger pointed at.

I don't know the politics going on behind the scenes here, but I do not believe anything either side are saying.

[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2016%E2%80%93present_purges_in...