Repeatedly elected to protect Turkey, so critical (9)
I believe the answer is:
intrinsic
'critical' is the definition.
Both the answer and definition are adjectives. Perhaps they are linked in a way I don't understand?
'repeatedly elected to protect turkey so' is the wordplay.
'repeatedly' says to double the letters.
'elected' becomes 'in' (in government).
'to protect' means one lot of letters goes inside another (inserted letters are held or protected).
'turkey' becomes 'tr' (abbreviation eg in internet addresses).
'so' becomes 'sic' ('so' in Latin).
'in' doubled is 'inin'.
'inin' enclosing 'tr' is 'intrin'.
'intrin'+'sic'='INTRINSIC'
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for intrinsic that I've seen before include "Genuine" , "Belonging as an inherent and essential part" , "Belonging by its very nature" , "native?" , "Of the essential nature of something" .)