Despite significant outstanding issues, a stronger NATO has always been in the Turkish national security interest. Türkiye has supported NATO’s open-door policy and membership aspirations of countries like Georgia, Bosnia and Ukraine. ![]() While the Russian threat appeared to dissipate over the years, NATO members like Türkiye continued to believe in the benefits and privileges of being part of such an alliance with capabilities in numerous non-European theaters. ![]() The organization played a leading role in ending the Qaddafi regime in Libya and conducted border defense missions against threats to Türkiye from Iraq and Syria. It extended its area of operations to Afghanistan following the invocation of Article 5 by the US. In the two decades after the September 11 attacks, NATO conducted operations in different regions. Conducting numerous operations throughout the Balkans in the 1990s, the alliance showed that it still had relevance and a significant role in maintaining international peace and security. Following the end of the Cold War, the alliance could not immediately identify a common threat, and many voices argued that it had already lost its raison d’etre. In its more than 70 years as a critical NATO ally, Türkiye participated in NATO missions worldwide while protecting the alliance’s southern flank. Türkiye is aware of this rapidly shifting geopolitical environment and has been one of the leading countries to help Ukraine while trying to broker a cease-fire and peace talks sooner rather than later. Realizing that their decades-old neutrality may not protect them against potential Russian aggression, Finland and Sweden have decided to join NATO, probably one of the unintended consequences from the Russian perspective. However, they have imposed significant costs on Russia and prevented Russian attempts to quickly seize control of the country. Russian aggression has not been deterred by US-led efforts to isolate, sanction, and back Ukraine militarily. As NATO sought to reassure allies via various deployments, Europe is taking a hard look at the existing security architecture while increasing defense spending at unprecedented levels. Eastern Europe and Baltic nations have been alarmed by the prospect of potential Russian aggression, which has led to a significant rethinking of security throughout Europe. NATO is at its most crucial turning point since the collapse of the Soviet Union, given the war in Ukraine. ![]() While many analysts will be quick to portray Türkiye as obstructing NATO enlargement and creating fractures within the alliance, it is essential to understand and address Turkish reservations for cohesion within NATO. ![]() The enlargement issue has profound implications for the trajectory of the Transatlantic alliance, and Türkiye’s position is critically important. This summit will also finalize the NATO Strategic Concept, which will guide the alliance in the coming years. In the context of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the two nations seek fast-track membership after being neutral for decades throughout the Cold War and afterwards. NATO enlargement to the Baltic region now hinges on whether these two Nordic countries can satisfy Türkiye’s concerns about terrorism. Türkiye’s reservations against Finland and Sweden’s membership emanate from Ankara’s long-standing frustration over Western tolerance and support for the PKK/YPGĪs we fast approach the NATO Summit in Madrid at the end of June, one of the most anticipated agenda items will be Finland and Sweden’s membership applications.
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