FIVE THINGS TO KNOW AFTER ANKARA

1 HACKERS TARGET TURKEY

Russia has a penchant for causing political trouble in other countries through cyber hacks. On Dec. 7, WikiLeaks released over 57,000 emails of Berat Albayrak, Turkey’s minister of energy and natural resources.

2 ECONOMIC PRESSURE

The fragile relationship between Russia and Turkey could fall apart, leading to renewed economic pressure on Turkey. This is what happened after Nov. 2015, when Turkish F-16s shot down a Russian bomber on the border of Syria. In response, Russia embargoed many Turkish goods, and Turkish exports to Russia fell by $737 million.

3 DEMOCRATIC REPRESSION

Erdogan detained thousands after the failed coup against his government this July. Putin came to power in part by cracking down against perceived insubordination in Chechnya. Whatever else, the assassination does not bode well for Russian or Turkish civil society.

4 CEASEFIRE THREATENED

Russia and Turkey are on opposite sides of the Syrian civil war, but both helped broker the latest ceasefire. The assassination could cause the ceasefire to collapse anew.

5 THE KURDISH CARD

Turkey is a NATO member, making it unlikely that Russia would start a war with Turkey. But Russia could use its ties with disaffected Kurdish populations in Turkey, including support for Kurdish militants, spurring more Kurdish terror attacks.