But Turkey continues to link any closer ties to Europe to its long-frozen bid to join the EU, while its close relationships with Moscow and Beijing — and poor human rights record — consistently stir unease among European allies.
“At an age where the U.S. commitment to European security is unraveling … Turkey’s contribution is indispensable,” said Sinan Ulgen, senior fellow at Carnegie Europe and a former Turkish diplomat. But “the main integration issue are the overriding problems affecting the Turkey-EU relationship.”
Marriage of convenience
Turkey has long been an unorthodox member of NATO.
Turkey has long been an unorthodox member of NATO. | Omar Havana/Getty Images
Admitted as part of NATO’s Cold War strategy to contain the Soviet Union, Ankara is valued for its robust military and strategic control of the Black Sea. But it’s also been a persistent source of headaches for NATO — invading Cyprus in 1974, feuding relentlessly with Greece and enduring U.S. sanctions after buying Russian S-400 air defense systems.
However, Turkey’s rapidly expanding defense industry has also made it a more attractive partner. European allies are scrambling to rearm, support Ukraine and plug capability gaps created by the U.S. pullback.
Turkey can offer other allies large volumes of rapidly-produced weapons like battle-tested Baykar surveillance and attack drones, said Arda Mevlütoğlu, CEO of Mergen Analytical Strategies, a Turkish defense industry consultancy; its naval corvettes take just two to three years to build, he added.