Turkey, for its part, sees France as far too friendly towards the Kurds. It wants Nato as a whole to back its position in Syria. Above all this episode underscores Turkey's drift away from Nato and the West. Its purchase of a sophisticated Russian air defence system is an extraordinary step for a Nato ally.

The problem is that Turkey's size and geographical position make it an important, albeit for many a troublesome, player in Nato despite some analysts questioning if it really should be in the alliance at all.