LONDON (BLOOMBERG) - After years of needling his Nato partners, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is finding that he needs them after all.

As Turkey slides towards war with Russian-backed Syrian forces, Ankara has appealed to the US and European allies for support in a conflict that risks undermining the friendly ties he has built with Moscow. The about-turn comes as the threat rises of a mass refugee movement towards Turkey, and of the defeat of Turkish-backed rebels in Syria.