NATO’s Washington Summit in the new security landscape

Facing its most comprehensive challenge since the end of the Cold War due to Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, NATO is convening in Washington on the 75th anniversary of its founding to formulate the alliance’s future perspective.

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NATO s Washington Summit in the new security landscape
A NATO summit in the shadow of the Biden controversy

A NATO summit in the shadow of the Biden controversy

Although Washington was specially chosen for the 75th anniversary, Americans, and even the participants, were focused more on U.S. President Joe Biden and whether he would forget things during his speech.

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Saturday marked the seventh anniversary of the July 15, 2016, coup attempt in Türkiye – also known as the "Legend of July 15." It is impossible to forget that dark night and the bright morning that followed. The memory of thinking to myself that “this nation and country do not deserve this experience” on the Bosporus Bridge, as prayers filled the sky and our hearts, remains perfectly fresh.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan started a new debate ahead of this week’s NATO Summit in Vilnius, Lithuania. Commenting on Sweden’s bid to join the Alliance, he argued that the relevant countries should “clear Türkiye’s path to European Union (EU) membership.” That statement aligned perfectly well with the readout of Erdoğan’s most recent phone call with U.S. President Joe Biden.

The Vilnius Summit is taking place at a time when the NATO alliance is beginning to overcome the strategic ambiguity it has experienced since the Cold War. Following the United States' declaration of a "war on global terrorism" after the September 11 attacks, NATO became involved in Afghanistan, but the alliance was unable to develop a strategy that aligned with the changing international security system. NATO's 2010 Strategic Concept document mentioned cooperation with Russia but made no reference to the threat posed by China. Failing to provide a strong response to the annexation of Crimea, the alliance suddenly found itself facing the risk of nuclear war in Europe with Russia's attempted occupation of Ukraine. This development served as a reminder of NATO's core mission and highlighted the need for a complete reassessment of Europe's security. The alliance attempted to present a comprehensive vision against Russia, China, and other global threats in its 2022 Strategic Concept document.

Türkiye and its Western allies within the NATO alliance have been passing through a tense period due to the implications of the Russian-Ukrainian War that erupted in February 2022. After Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the European countries close to Russia have perceived a threat from Moscow. Therefore, large-scale measures were taken by these countries and their allies in the West. Within this context, the NATO alliance and its enlargement policy have come to prominence.

Is the Ukraine War coming to an end?

The Ukrainian forces are launching a counteroffensive, aiming to achieve a decisive result and bring an end to the Russian occupation. However, due to their lack of air superiority, they risk suffering significant losses in this attack. The outcome of this offensive will determine whether discussions about the end of the war can begin or if the conflict will prolong for years to come.

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Is the Ukraine War coming to an end
The debate on whom can govern in Türkiye

The debate on whom can govern in Türkiye

The main source of disagreement between Türkiye's government and the opposition relates to which side could govern better. Alternatively, it is about the claim that the opposite side cannot govern properly. As Türkiye inches toward next year’s elections, that theme dominates domestic politics week in and week out.

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The opposition has been criticizing the memorandum that Turkey signed with Sweden and Finland at the NATO summit in Madrid. Their main argument is that the government bowed to pressure and made concessions.

The Assistant Editor of Insight Turkey and Researcher of SETA Foundation, Gloria Shkurti Özdemir attended virtually to Andy Boyns’s news program in A News, to clear the questionmarks about the latest NATO Summit and the trilateral memorandum between Türkiye, Finland and Sweden.

Türkiye has done is stop blocking NATO's extension of an invitation to the countries. In other words, their accession process has just started, not ended.

Türkiye emerges as a power that generates stability and security in its neighborhood – Central Asia, the Caucasus, the Balkans, the Middle East, the Gulf and North Africa.

Türkiye's reservations against Finland and Sweden's membership emanate from Ankara's long-standing frustration over Western tolerance and support for the PKK/YPG

The NATO allies need to make rational decisions to promote intra-alliance solidarity at the Madrid summit.

'The French voted for Emmanuel Macron in the second round not because they really believed in him but because they did not want to see Le Pen as president'

Turkey's balanced approach to the Ukraine crisis amid normalization with its partners can contribute to the strategic transformation in its ties with the West

This study presents the views of leading experts on NATO’s emergency summit.

A prolonged war in Ukraine would have a devastating impact on European security and the global economy. That is why we should expect diplomacy to gain momentum

Whether Joe Biden can put an end to the U.S. constantly losing power and influence in world politics is still a mystery

The 2021 NATO summit in Brussels saw a more positive atmosphere than the 2019 London summit. Many important issues were mentioned in the 79-item communique presented in Brussels. The coming days will show what concrete steps are taken from the long agenda that seems more like a wish list at the moment