Turkey’s president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has been working hard to help open up an export route for Ukrainian grain via the Black Sea. But as he wins plaudits for this key mediating role, his nation is struggling with soaring inflation and a cost of living crisis. Andrew England, standing in for Gideon, talks to Asli Aydıntaşbaş of the European Council on Foreign Relations and Laura Pitel, the FT's Turkey correspondent, about what’s motivating Erdoğan.

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Presented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Fiona Symon. Sound design by Breen Turner

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

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