Seemingly out-of-the-way Turkey was central to a world war a hundred years ago, and after the July 15th attempted military coup, democracy looks to be quite thoroughly killed and President Erdogan is loving it. He’s a faithful American ally but there is reason for concern he may be tilting to the Russians. Meanwhile the US State Department is at war with the Defense Department over what to do. In this uniquely informative discussion, Salon foreign affairs columnist Patrick Lawrence untangles the worrisome and highly messy plate of spaghetti.