ISTANBUL: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will seek to leverage the NATO summit to burnish his international credentials, analysts say, despite mounting scrutiny over a domestic crackdown on political opponents ahead of a presidential election.
Hosting the July 7-8 summit offers Ankara a chance to underscore Turkiye’s role as a pivotal regional power and an intermediary between the United States and Europe, as geopolitical tensions rise.
Analysts say Erdogan is seeking to capitalize on Turkiye’s elevated profile since the start of the Russia-Ukraine war, as conflict in the Middle East and tensions within the transatlantic alliance reshape Western security priorities.
His goal is to position Turkiye as “an indispensable actor in security and geopolitical processes in Europe and beyond,” foreign policy expert Serkan Demirtas told AFP.
NATO unity has been tested in recent months, particularly since the United States and Israel began attacking Iran on February 28, sparking war.
