Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is utilizing Turkey's role in NATO to increase global influence and pursue an independent foreign policy.
This strategy allows Ankara to extract strategic concessions from alliance members while maintaining a level of autonomy that can complicate NATO's collective decision-making processes.
Turkey possesses the second-largest army in NATO [1], providing Erdogan with significant leverage during negotiations. This influence was evident in the handling of Sweden's bid to join the alliance. In 2024, Erdogan submitted Sweden's NATO accession to the Turkish parliament for ratification [2]. While Stockholm welcomed the move, some observers said the timing was part of a pattern of cynical transactionalism.
Beyond membership votes, Erdogan has used his position to influence NATO leadership. On April 26, 2024, the outgoing Dutch prime minister visited Erdogan in Turkey during a bid for the NATO chief position [3]. The visit highlighted how candidates for the alliance's top post must navigate Erdogan's specific geopolitical requirements to secure support.
These actions reflect a broader effort to expand Turkey's global reach. Analysis from May 8, 2026, suggests that Turkey continues to seek strategic advantages that extend beyond the traditional NATO framework [4]. This approach has created a tension between Turkey's active role in the alliance and its desire for a foreign policy that does not always align with Western priorities.
Critics said this behavior creates a trap for the alliance, where NATO must accommodate Turkey's demands to maintain the integrity of its eastern flank. However, others said Erdogan's willingness to eventually align with NATO processes—such as the Swedish bid—shows a capacity for cooperation when the price is right.
“Turkey possesses the second-largest army in NATO”
Erdogan's approach transforms NATO membership from a purely defensive commitment into a diplomatic tool. By leveraging Turkey's military size and its veto power over new members, Ankara can force alliance leaders to acknowledge Turkish interests in regions where NATO may not have a primary mandate. This creates a transactional relationship that ensures Turkey remains indispensable to the alliance's security architecture while operating with significant diplomatic freedom.
