TURKEY AND NATO: QUESTIONING THE SOLIDARITY

Abstract

Turkey and NATO have been going through a complex and complicated relation especially after Turkey has decided to buy first Chinese Air Defense Systems and then S-400 Air Defense Systems from Russian Federation. The Alliance's reaction with the expression of Secretary General Stoltenberg has been mild so far highlighting that the procurement of defence systems is a national decision. Individual member states, especially the US, however, have been vehemently opposing Turkey’s decision and the US has resorted to several measures, such as removing Turkey from the F-35 program or imposing sanctions under the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA). Turkey’s main argument that member states, namely the US, denied selling Turkey Air Defense System, such as Patriots and they did not consider technological transfer to Turkey, which has been regarded by Turkey as a key factor for the procurement, was overlooked by Allies. The critics even included questioning Turkey's NATO membership. Turkey’s cooperation in recent with the Russian Federation, including procurement of defence systems, has been criticized by the West as well as among scholars and politicians in Turkey. Turkish officials, including President Erdogan and Defense Minister Akar, however, insistently underlined Turkey’s position in the Alliance and Turkey’s decisiveness for the membership. This paper analyses the relations between Turkey and NATO in the light of the recent crisis and argues that Turkey, as clearly states by Turkish officials, does not question its membership