Last week, the UK Prime Minister May and Turkish President Erdogan concluded two bilateral agreements. The first was general: improving the depth of existing trade relations; and the second was for the development of Turkey’s new fighter jet, in partnership with BAe.

This meeting is interesting for two main reasons. It represents a meeting of two countries in EU transition. The UK is on its way out, and Turkey has aspirations to join, or at least it once did. From that perspective it must have seemed faintly reassuring to President Erdogan – the UK apparently providing proof positive that membership of the EU is no-longer the be-all-and-end-all status of nationhood within the European continent.

Secondly, by discussing future trade agreements with a non-EU/EEA party – albeit in the context of existing levels of trade or specific projects – the UK has effectively started its negotiations for economic life outside the block. I wonder if the EU will notice.

Cooperation on a long-term defence project also represents something of a departure from the recent trend of Turkey’s flirtation with countries outside NATO. It could be taken as evidence of commitment from both parties for continued security engagement, regardless of what may happen at an inter-governmental level.

Prime Minister May also took flack for not bringing up the case of human rights abuses following on from the coup attempt last year.

In today’s world, large coup attempts such as the one in Turkey – thousands of participants – are not restricted to one group of people – the military for instance. Plotters cross-cut all demographics of society, and wide-ranging responses should always be anticipated: on the judiciary, the media, higher education and so on. Even if President Erdogan is exceeding his democratic mandate, it would, however, be impossible for his government to hunt out descent without disturbing levels of activity in those areas. Arrests will naturally impact on the ‘rights’ associated with each sphere of activity.

A coup in a stable country is also an exceptional event which requires an exceptional response. Turkey is also in a serious security conundrum; anything less than a firm action leaves the door ajar for further instability – Kurdish fighters, ISIS terrorists, or Turkmen and Russian separatists, Turkey has it all, and we already see their activities play out in real time.

The international community was decidedly ungenerous in its condemnation of the coup attempt; nevertheless, it is the current government and President Erdogan, and not the coup plotters, which represent a popularly elected government. Unless we want to see another country of Europe’s border disintegrate, a dose of realism is required.