Turkey's Economic Weakness Fuels a Slow-Burning Political Crisis

Creeping inflation, low consumer confidence, stubborn unemployment and a continued preference for hard foreign currency instead of Turkish lira all underscore the Turkish economy’s vulnerability. Although it is showing signs of growth -- from a 0.2 percent increase in the gross domestic product in 2019, the International Monetary Fund projects that the Turkish GDP will post a 3 percent gain in 2020 -- its volatility has weighed on Turkish citizens. This sentiment is driving Ankara's commitment to maintain its assertive course in places like Syria, Libya and the Eastern Mediterranean, banking on increasing nationalist fervor from an aggressive foreign policy to distract from economic malaise. In the process, it appears willing to embrace the risk of exposing Turkey to external economic shocks such as sanctions. Even if Turkey’s government deems that it can withstand the external political and economic pressure to alter its foreign policy, over time, the rising domestic strain will...