Turkey’s Reconfigured Ties with the ‘Strategic West’
Soner Cagaptay with Deniz Yuksel
September 24, 2019
Despite diluting certain commonalities with Europe and Washington over the past decade, Ankara still relies on the West in the trade, investment, and security realms.
Turkey’s recent decision to purchase the Russian S-400 missile defense system has led many to wonder whether Ankara aims to exit the West. Such questions are understandable given the many steps President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has taken to distinguish his country politically and culturally from the United States and the European Union. Yet he also realizes how much he needs them to fuel Turkey’s economy, to keep winning elections, and to maintain keep the NATO security umbrella against Russia, a geopolitical rival whose historical enmity against the Turks runs deeper than any single arms deal can erase.
More:Turkey’s Reconfigured Ties with the ‘Strategic West’ - The Washington Institute for Near East Policy