Should NATO worry about the Russia-Turkey ties?

Why NATO Should Relax About Turkey

Ties between Turkey and fellow NATO members are fraught. But there’s no need to worry about Turkish plans to buy a Russian missile system. From Afghanistan, to the Qatar dispute to Somalia, Ankara is becoming a regional security player – the U.S. and others should welcome that, argues Samuel Hickey in Foreign Affairs.

“Turkey’s acquisition of the S-400 [missile system] is, in short, a product of its aggravation over what it perceives to be NATO’s failure to recognize Ankara’s new role in providing regional security,” Hickey writes. “The S-400 is not preparation for war, but it allows Turkey to engage in regional conflicts while ensuring it can respond to new threats if relations with NATO members continue to deteriorate. [Turkish President Recep Tayyip] Erdogan has shown initiative in coordinating regional security efforts and NATO members should seek to engage Turkey in these efforts. Doing so will help further the alliance’s security interests and help NATO critics of Erdogan maintain influence in Turkey’s domestic politics.”

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