The fact that Turkey is acting as a support hub for Houthi rebels, as well as the proliferation of Iranian-owned companies in Turkey, is another cause for concern.  

Guriev and Treisman write that today’s spin dictators participate in Western institutions in order to extract benefits. This is what Turkey does with the EU and NATO. They also write that Western multilateral organizations assume shared ideals and mutual trust but lack tools to deter or punish incremental misbehavior.

A European judicial platform recently called for restoring the rule of law in Turkey, but it is doubtful whether Turkey will comply. Now, it is up to NATO, the EU, and the Council of Europe to draw the necessary conclusions.

Robert Ellis is a Turkey analyst and commentator. He is also an international advisor at the Research Institute for European and American Studies in Athens.