Alliances in international affairs are based on shared interests, not shared beliefs, nor friendship.
We hope that Erdogan is aware of this, and I believe he is. Nato is no friend of Turkey, the US is forever dedicated to undermining the sovereignty and independence of any country, and Turkey is no exception.
Even the actions which they may need Turkey to carry out for the success of long-term Western strategic goals in the region, can be suddenly condemned and used to justify future aggression against Turkey, when aggression against Turkey becomes viable. The US can finance, train, and arm years of Turkish attacks against the Kurds, for instance, and then suddenly blame Turkey for attacking the Kurds. They can approve of Turkey’s downing of a Russian warplane today, and accuse Turkey tomorrow for taking provocative military action against an ally in the fight against Da’esh. Their support is often a prelude to their condemnation.
Erdogan must be aware that, while the US wants to isolate Russia, they certainly do not want Turkey’s regional influence to grow. They need Turkey to be strong now. It is a necessary element for the division of Iraq and Syria into smaller mini-states; but if it will be possible to achieve this objective while simultaneously laying the groundwork for the eventual destabilization of Turkey, that is their ideal scenario.
Turkey was the organizational center of the Muslim world for centuries, and the West definitely loathes the idea that any semblance of international Muslim cohesion could ever re-emerge with Turkey as its center of gravity.
Erdogan is accused of perceiving plots and conspiracies everywhere against the AKP; and he is right. This is the healthiest attitude for a Muslim ruler to adopt today, and we hope that this astute awareness will continue to inform Erdogan as he tries to balance the necessary interests of his enemies against their inherent malice.