Türkiye has always been a top contributor to NATO, but the alliance’s fate was often shaped by other members. This changed in the past few decades as Türkiye’s leverage in the bloc grew under the leadership of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. This week, Türkiye will likely get what it wants from the alliance as it brings together heads of state and government for what pundits call the “most important summit” of the alliance.
This week’s summit will be an opportunity for Türkiye to showcase its flourishing defense industry and seek more collaboration in this field with NATO members. It will also be an opportunity for Türkiye to enhance cooperation with EU states, most of whom are also NATO members, in bolstering the defenses of the continent.
Türkiye brought many of the challenges NATO faces today onto the Alliance’s agenda over the past five years, achieving concrete outcomes despite criticism from some member states. By insisting that Sweden and Finland take meaningful steps in combating terrorism before approving their NATO membership, Türkiye initially withheld its consent. Once the two countries implemented tangible measures in this area, Türkiye lifted its objections.
Although some allies opposed Türkiye’s stance at the time, Ankara succeeded in incorporating its priority issues into NATO summit declarations, securing what it viewed as a diplomatic victory. In hindsight, this also served as an early warning regarding the challenges that NATO members are confronting today.
