Recent disputes involving the United States, NATO and European allies have renewed focus on Türkiye’s evolving role within the alliance, with experts pointing to Ankara’s efforts to maintain strategic balance between Washington and Brussels, particularly after President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan emphasized preserving trans-Atlantic ties in talks with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte ahead of July’s NATO summit in Ankara.
“While the Trump administration’s 'America First' approach, which questions trans-Atlantic ties, is creating deep structural fissures within NATO, Türkiye stands out as one of the few rational actors capable of bridging the divide between polarized parties at this very juncture,” Tolga Sakman, chair of the Center for Diplomatic Affairs and Political Studies (DIPAM), told Daily Sabah.
In an interview with Britain’s Telegraph newspaper on April 1, U.S. President Donald Trump described NATO as a “paper tiger” and suggested Washington’s future in the alliance was “beyond reconsideration.” Expressing frustration over what he described as a lack of support from allies in the war launched against Iran, he said he was considering withdrawing the U.S. from NATO.
Ayhan Sarı, an assistant professor at the Turkish-German University and security and foreign policy expert at the Turkish Research Foundation (TAV), also stated that, “If the United States steps back from its leadership role in NATO, an actor like Türkiye could emerge to fill part of that space,” arguing if the United States, under Trump or a future president, continues pursuing these policies and Europe faces potential security vulnerabilities, this is an issue that could be addressed together with Türkiye.
