Politics
What does NATO membership mean for Türkiye?
Türkiye this year marks the 74th anniversary of its accession to NATO and has the second-largest army in the alliance. It is the only country in NATO’s “southern flank” with a sizable military power and a gateway to the Middle East and wider Asia. Security of the Black Sea also largely depends on Türkiye, especially amid the Russia-Ukraine conflict, which threatens maritime security.
Founded on April 4, 1949, under the collective self-defense principle set out in Article 51 of the United Nations Charter, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) was established as a defense alliance against the Soviet threat.
Following the end of the Cold War and the bipolar world order in 1989, NATO launched its Partnership for Peace program with former socialist countries in 1994, with the aim of facilitating their eventual accession to the alliance. In this context, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland joined NATO in 1999, bringing the number of member states to 19.
The fall of the Berlin Wall on Nov. 9, 1989, marked a turning point in NATO’s history and heralded the end of the Cold War.
Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, NATO established partnerships with its former adversaries as the alliance adapted to the post-Cold War security environment.
NATO later conducted its first major crisis-management operation in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in New York and Washington prompted NATO to invoke Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty for the first time in its history and led the alliance to adopt a broader approach to security.
Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty forms the basis of NATO’s collective defense principle, under which an armed attack against one or more allies is considered an attack against all members.
The article states that if such an attack occurs in North America or Europe, each member will assist the attacked ally by taking “such action as it deems necessary,” including the possible use of armed force, in line with the right to individual or collective self-defense recognized by Article 51 of the United Nations Charter.
NATO subsequently took command of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan.
At NATO’s Prague Summit in November 2002, the alliance entered its second round of post-Cold War enlargement, holding accession and alliance-related talks with Balkan and Baltic countries.
Greece also withdrew from NATO’s military command structure in 1974 in response to Türkiye’s second Cyprus Peace Operation in August that year, but returned to the structure in 1980.
NATO marked its 77th anniversary on April 4, 2026, celebrating the signing of the North Atlantic Treaty in Washington, D.C., on April 4, 1949.
The main aim of the alliance is to maintain the security and sovereignty of member states while developing cooperation among partners.
For Türkiye, the key factor behind accession was the need to balance Soviet pressure, particularly Moscow’s claims over the Turkish straits and eastern provinces. Since joining NATO in 1952, however, Türkiye has emerged as a key member of the alliance due to its support for NATO missions, participation in exercises, steadily growing military capabilities and geopolitical importance.
Türkiye enters alliance
Following World War II, the Soviet Union expanded its influence by establishing communist governments across Eastern Europe, laying the foundations of the Cold War.
NATO emerged as a source of hope for Türkiye under these circumstances. From the alliance’s establishment, the Turkish government showed a strong willingness to join. However, some of NATO’s smaller members, as well as the United States, initially opposed Türkiye’s membership over concerns that it could heighten the Soviet threat.
Yet, Türkiye’s geopolitical importance and the performance of Turkish troops deployed during the Korean War in 1950 demonstrated the potential strategic value of bringing the country into NATO. After two previous applications, in May and September 1950, had been rejected, Türkiye was invited to join NATO alongside Greece on Sept. 21, 1951. The U.S. Senate approved the accession of the two countries on Jan. 29, 1952, and the Turkish Grand National Assembly approved Türkiye’s accession to NATO on Feb. 18, 1952.
Contributions to deterrence
Türkiye’s contributions extend from the Baltic region to the Black Sea and include NATO missions, operations and exercises, as well as responsibilities in maritime security, crisis management, training and deterrence.
The country currently contributes nearly 3,000 personnel, along with various weapons, vehicles and military platforms, to ongoing NATO missions, operations and initiatives.
Türkiye also hosts critical NATO facilities, including the Allied Land Command, located in the western city of Izmir, and the Rapid Deployable Corps, based in Istanbul.
The capital, Ankara, hosts the Center of Excellence for Defense Against Terrorism (COE-DAT) and the Partnership for Peace Training Center. Istanbul hosts the NATO Maritime Security Center of Excellence (MARSEC COE).
Furthermore, the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) this year joined NATO’s Steadfast Dart exercise in Germany from Feb. 12-24, held to improve the operational readiness of the Allied Reaction Force. The army contributed naval, land and air elements, including the Anadolu Task Group, and deployed a joint force of more than 2,000 personnel to Germany.
Starting in 2028, Türkiye will assume leadership of NATO’s Allied Reaction Force (ARF), one of the Alliance’s most critical military capabilities, further strengthening its key role in European security.
With its capabilities in artificial intelligence, cyber defense and space, Türkiye stands out as one of the NATO members adapting most rapidly to the Alliance’s evolving threat landscape.
In this context, Türkiye stands out as one of NATO’s key members strengthening not only its own defense capabilities but also the Alliance’s technological edge through major projects such as the Steel Dome integrated air defense system, the KAAN fighter jet and the Altay main battle tank.
Türkiye allocated 2.33% of its gross domestic product (GDP) to defense in 2025, placing it among the NATO members assuming a high level of financial and military responsibility within the Alliance.
Türkiye also remains one of NATO’s key members in counterterrorism, maintaining an active operational role in combating terrorism, one of the threats facing the Alliance.
Significant missions
Since joining NATO, Türkiye has steadily expanded its contributions to the alliance’s missions and operations, including in Afghanistan, Kosovo, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Libya and Iraq. Turkish officials say the country has preserved and developed Cold War-era military capabilities while also fighting terrorism and responding to regional instability.
Türkiye supported NATO’s Afghanistan mission between 2002 and 2014 under the International Security Assistance Force and later contributed to the Resolute Support Mission from 2015. Turkish forces also assumed framework nation responsibility for the secure operation of Kabul Hamid Karzai International Airport until NATO’s mission ended in August 2021.
The Turkish military also contributed to the NATO Mission Iraq, launched to help build the capacity of the Iraqi army, from 2018 until a withdrawal process began in March amid worsening security conditions.
Following NATO’s decision to continue the mission with a core staff at the Allied Joint Force Command Naples, Türkiye assigned three personnel to the new structure.
July’s NATO summit
Moreover, Ankara this year, hosted the 36th NATO Heads of State and Government Summit on July 7-8, with leaders issuing a final declaration reaffirming their “unwavering commitment” to Article 5, the alliance’s collective defense clause, and to the transatlantic bond.
The summit brought together leaders of the 32-member alliance as well as key partners to discuss Europe’s defense capacity.
The final declaration of the summit in the end underscored collective defense, procurement agreements and continued support for Ukraine.
Member states had gathered in Ankara to reaffirm their “unwavering commitment” to Article 5, NATO’s collective defense clause, and to the transatlantic bond, it noted.
The declaration said the investments would deliver required capabilities while also strengthening the defense industry and resilience. adding that European allies and Canada increased investment in core defense requirements by more than $139 billion in 2025.
NATO allies further stressed that the support for Ukraine should remain fair, predictable and sustainable over the long term, pledging 70 billion euros ($81.5 billion) in military equipment, assistance and training for Ukraine in 2026 and committing to maintain at least the same level of support in 2027.
Moreover, the declaration also emphasized that the Alliance continued to respond and adapt to strategic competition, widespread instability, hybrid threats and recurring crises shaping the broader security environment.
Cemil Tugay, mayor of Türkiye’s third-largest city, Izmir, joined the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) on Wednesday in a landmark move for the party, which has failed to win the city for years.
The AK Party portrayed the move as ushering in a new era for the Aegean city, which has been beset by chronic problems for years, with a video showing flowers blossoming over mountains of garbage as it announced Tugay’s switch.
Expectations are high following the switch, given the successful track record of AK Party-run municipalities in public services. Locals hope the new era will turn around the fortunes of a city grappling with pollution in the Gulf of Izmir, uncollected garbage, infrastructure shortcomings and transportation problems.
Tugay pledged that “good things are in store” for Izmir after joining the party. The mayor had been serving as an independent after resigning from the opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), which has dominated municipal elections in Izmir for the past two decades.
Izmir has been under the spotlight since the 2024 local elections, particularly over strikes by workers and civil servants at district municipalities, from Karabağlar, Konak and Karşıyaka to Buca and Bayraklı. Delays in salary payments since the 2024 vote led to strikes whose impact was most visible in uncollected garbage piling up on the streets and threatening public health.
The garbage problem is the first emergency, and the municipality is expected to shut down a landfill in the Çiğli district and build new solid waste disposal facilities.
Second, severe sanctions are expected against businesses and individuals polluting the Gulf of Izmir, which has suffered mass fish deaths. A wastewater treatment plant that has been left to deteriorate will undergo a major renovation. This is expected to help the city tackle the nightmarish stench that engulfs Izmir, particularly in the summer.
Another issue requiring attention is urban transformation, including the demolition and renewal of decaying housing projects. Amid a corruption scandal involving the construction of new housing projects, Tugay’s predecessor, Tunç Soyer, was arrested last year, while some housing projects have remained incomplete for the past five years. Under the new administration, urban transformation projects are expected to be accelerated, particularly for low-income families.
The municipality is also expected to launch a drive to renew roads across Izmir, many of which have become riddled with potholes due to inadequate maintenance.
In terms of transportation, new projects are underway, including the construction of a new bypass and increased investment in railway systems.
Bilal Saygılı, chairperson of the AK Party’s Izmir branch, said they would work in coordination with Tugay to resolve the city’s problems. Yaşar Kırkpınar, an AK Party lawmaker from Izmir, described Tugay’s switch as a turning point for Izmir’s future and public services.
Ceyda Bölünmez Çankırı, another AK Party lawmaker from Izmir, said the city had longed for “real municipal services for years” and that they would work hard to deliver them to residents under Tugay’s leadership.
Turkish Cypriot President Tufan Erhürman and Greek Cypriot leader Nikos Christodoulides are set to meet on Oct. 13 in the United Nations-controlled buffer zone on the divided island of Cyprus, according to reports Wednesday.
The meeting between the leaders of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) and the Greek Cypriot administration is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. local time and is expected to focus on efforts surrounding the Cyprus issue and confidence-building measures.
The two leaders last met on Sept. 17 at the office of the U.N. Good Offices Mission in the buffer zone. Their closed-door talks, which began at 11 a.m., lasted approximately two hours.
Following the meeting, the U.N. said Erhürman and Christodoulides had exchanged views on confidence-building measures, methodology and substantive aspects of the Cyprus issue.
Erhürman said after the talks that the two sides had yet to reach an agreement on confidence-building measures.
“On the remaining substantive issues, the two sides are only at the stage of listening to each other’s thoughts and views. That is the clear picture,” he said, noting that the meeting was “better” than their previous talks but that the sides remained at the stage of listening to each other’s positions on substantive issues.
He also stressed that concrete progress on the island would be necessary before another meeting could be held in an expanded format.
Erhürman and Christodoulides later traveled to New York for the U.N. General Assembly following their Sept. 17 meeting. The two leaders did not hold a bilateral meeting during their time in New York, although talks were held between their respective delegations.
Cyprus has remained divided for more than five decades between the Turkish Cypriot north and the Greek Cypriot south despite a series of diplomatic efforts by the U.N. to achieve a comprehensive settlement. The TRNC was established in 1983 and is recognized only by Türkiye, while the Greek Cypriot administration represents the island internationally and joined the European Union in 2004.
Turkish officials and leaders in Turkish Cyprus have increasingly advocated a two-state solution to the dispute, arguing that decades of United Nations-led negotiations for a federal settlement have failed to produce results.
The upcoming Oct. 13 meeting comes as efforts continue to find common ground between the two sides and determine the next steps in the long-running Cyprus issue.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan told Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday that Türkiye remains ready to support efforts to establish direct contacts between Russia and Ukraine, stressing the importance of diplomacy aimed at finding a solution to the war.
Erdoğan and Putin discussed bilateral ties as well as regional and global issues during a phone call, Türkiye’s Directorate of Communications said in a statement.
During the call, Erdoğan emphasized the importance of ongoing efforts to ensure the safety of navigation in the Black Sea.
He said Türkiye was always ready to contribute to initiatives aimed at establishing direct contacts between Moscow and Kyiv and underlined the importance of solution-oriented diplomatic efforts, according to the statement.
The two leaders also discussed Türkiye-Russia relations and other regional and international developments, the directorate said, without providing further details.
Erdoğan also congratulated Putin on his birthday and on his party’s performance in Russia’s Duma elections.
The opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) has alleged that vehicles, equipment and other assets worth more than TL 250 million (approximately $5.1 million) were reported to have been removed or gone missing from its provincial and district offices during the formation of the New Party (YP).
The alleged losses followed a court ruling declaring the CHP’s leadership election legally invalid, triggering a period of internal turmoil and disputes over party property.
According to findings cited by CHP officials, the vehicles and equipment were allegedly taken from party offices across Türkiye’s 81 provinces, Sabah newspaper reported.
Individual criminal complaints have been filed with prosecutors under the coordination of CHP Deputy Chair Tahsin Tarhan, seeking investigations into the missing assets.
The allegations also involve seven district headquarters previously rented by the CHP. Rental agreements were reportedly changed following arrangements with property owners, allowing the buildings to be transferred to the New Party without the CHP leadership’s knowledge.
The affected districts reportedly include Akyurt and Altındağ in Ankara.
A court ruling in a case concerning alleged irregularities at the CHP’s November 2023 convention declared the congress null and void and reinstated Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu and the previous party administration.
In late July, following escalating tensions within the party, Özel and 90 lawmakers resigned from the CHP and established the New Party.
Meanwhile, several missing CHP vehicles were reportedly located in industrial repair facilities and scrapyards. Party officials alleged that many returned vehicles had been deliberately damaged, potentially requiring millions of liras in repairs.
The whereabouts of office furniture, computers, sound systems and air conditioning units remain unknown.
CHP officials further alleged that equipment belonging to the party had been transferred to newly established New Party offices.
Turkish defense companies showcased advanced underwater systems, sonar technologies and unmanned maritime platforms in the western province of Izmir as part of the Türkiye-hosted Nusret-2026 Invitation Exercise.
The exhibition at the Port of Alsancak brought together 16 defense companies presenting technologies for underwater operations and mine countermeasures to Turkish and foreign military representatives participating in the exercise.
The Nusret-2026 Invitation Exercise is being held from Oct. 6-16 in the Gulf of Izmir and off the coast of Karadeniz Ereğli. Alongside Turkish forces, the exercise includes units from NATO’s Standing Mine Countermeasures Group 2 (SNMCMG2) and the Black Sea Mine Countermeasures Task Group (MCM Black Sea).
Havelsan presented a remotely operated underwater vehicle developed with the company’s own resources that can operate at depths of up to 300 meters (985 feet).
Zekiye Bilinç Serintuna, Havelsan’s underwater systems group leader, said the platform is equipped with sensors and systems enabling navigation and precise positioning. It can be used for military and civilian missions, including search and rescue, mine countermeasures, pipeline monitoring and ship hull inspections.
Meteksan Defense also showcased underwater acoustic technologies, including sonar systems developed for ships and submarines.
The company introduced two new products at Nusret-2026: the Submarine and Underwater Vehicle Detection System (SUVDES) and the National Synthetic Aperture Sonar System (MİLSAS).
SUVDES is designed for tasks including harbor security, protection of critical facilities and the detection of unmanned maritime vehicles.
State-owned defense manufacturer MKE, meanwhile, displayed several systems developed for naval warfare.
They included the Denizhan national naval gun, the Pirana kamikaze unmanned surface vehicle and the Malaman smart bottom mine, alongside infantry rifles used by naval forces.
A total of 20 ships, five aircraft and various unmanned systems are taking part in the exercise, which focuses on mine countermeasures and maritime operations.
Interior Minister Mustafa Çiftçi will be in Athens on Thursday. Ministry sources said Wednesday that the purpose of the visit was “cooperation in fighting against transboundary crime, terrorist groups and next-generation criminal gangs.”
He is scheduled to meet Greek Minister for Migration and Asylum Thanos Plevris and Minister for Citizen Protection Michalis Chrisochoidis. Çiftçi’s talks will focus on joint steps in the above-mentioned areas.
The Turkish and Greek officials will discuss extradition of members of criminal gangs and how to enhance cooperation in this area, ministry sources also said.
Çiftçi stepped up Türkiye’s contacts with neighboring countries in the joint fight against transboundary crimes and recently paid visits to Bulgaria and Georgia to this end.
The minister last visited Athens in April for a trilateral meeting with Plevris and Bulgarian Interior Minister Emil Dechev on security-related issues affecting the three neighboring countries.
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