Erdoğan’s Turkey Faces NATO Contradictions After 2016 Coup Attempt and Ukraine War

Turkey is a NATO member since 1952, and a French outlet says Ankara’s posture has appeared increasingly “décalée, voire opposée” to other Allies since the arrival to power of Erdoğan and “singulièrement depuis le coup d’État manqué de 2016.”

“Istanbul, Turkey's economic engine, was proposed by Russian President Vladimir Putin as the site for direct talks with Ukraine”

BFM

The same article frames the issue as contradictions inside NATO that affect relations between Turkey and some Allies, as well as “sur l’efficacité de l’Alliance elle-même et sur sa coopération avec l’Union européenne.”

BFM

It also links the debate to a “renouveau de la menace de guerre en Europe,” citing the Russian invasion of Ukraine as the most obvious symptom, and describes Ankara’s attitude toward Moscow as “pour le moins équivoque.”

In parallel, a West Asian outlet says Turkey is “gradually moving away from Moscow and restoring its ties with the West” after the war in Ukraine, sanctions, and energy crises exposed the limits of Erdoğan’s bet on Russia.

That outlet adds that on the eve of the NATO summit hosted by Ankara in July, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan described transatlantic relations as a “strategic necessity” and called the summit a “historic opportunity” to reaffirm NATO unity.

A French local outlet says that “67 years after joining NATO” Ankara refuses to fulfill strategic obligations and is drawing closer to Russia, adding that the Ministry of Defense confirmed it “a just confirmed that it has received the first tranche of Russia’s S-400 air defense system.”

It says Washington threatened to impose sanctions and suspend US-Russian defense accords concerning the US F-35s, and it describes the S-400 deal as “the first ever signed between Russia and a NATO country.”

El Mundo

In the same framing, the outlet says the delivery of Russian S-400s to Turkey is “not surprising,” but that tensions are shaking NATO because the purchase is “completely incompatible” with close cooperation among NATO members tied to US-made F-35s.

A West Asian outlet adds that Turkey’s return to NATO’s embrace is also visible in policy shifts, saying Turkish officials continue to issue “pro-NATO signals” ahead of the July summit.

It further states that the shift is “not limited to rhetoric,” pointing to Ankara reducing dependence on Russian energy and scaling back economic and defense ties with Russia.

Multiple sources place the NATO summit in Ankara on July 7–8, with one outlet saying “The 36th NATO summit” will be held “in Ankara on July 7–8,” and adding that U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will participate.

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France 24

A West Asian outlet says the summit is scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday next week in Ankara, and it frames European goals as reassuring Washington that European countries have begun fulfilling commitments to increase defence spending, with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte calling it “an opportunity to show that Europeans are keeping their promises.”

That same outlet says leaders are expected to pledge to continue funding weapon supplies to Ukraine in its war against the Russian invasion, and it reports that Rutte said the summit would focus on turning extra spending into operational capabilities and greatly expanding defence industries.

Another source says NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte told the Financial Times that U.S. orders for European and Canadian weapons totaling $300 billion support about 195,000 jobs in the U.S. defense manufacturing sector.

It also says Rutte urged defense industry companies to invest the $250 billion increase in defense spending over the past two years in expanding production capacity, while warning that some essential military capabilities Europe still cannot obtain except from the United States.