The spetsnaz are Russia’s elite special forces, undertaking high-risk missions that lay the groundwork to enable the country’s regular soldiers to dominate the battlefield. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey is playing a similar role for the “authoritarian international”. His post-coup purges are part of a tradition of despots cracking down on enemies — real or imagined, it makes no odds — to consolidate their rule. Yet there is one crucial difference: Turkey belongs to Nato and to the Council of Europe human rights body, and is an aspiring member of the EU. Mr Erdogan’s actions are thus an open challenge to western principles.
“阿尔法小组”(spetsnaz)是俄罗斯精英特种部队，负责执行高风险任务，为该国常规部队控制战场局势打下基础。土耳其总统雷杰普•塔伊普•埃尔多安(Recep Tayyip Erdogan)正在为“威权主义国际”(authoritarian international)扮演类似的角色。他在政变后发起的清洗正符合独裁者打击敌人（真实的还是臆想的都无所谓）以巩固自身统治的传统。但一个关键的不同在于：土耳其是北约(Nato)和欧洲委员会(Council of Europe)成员，而且在积极申请加入欧盟(EU)。因此，埃尔多安的所作所为是对西方原则的公开挑战。