Former Turkish ambassadors to NATO, Ahmet Üzümcü and Mehmet Fatih Ceylan, write that there is untapped potential for closer cooperation between Turkey and the United Kingdom in the defence and security fields.
Putin underestimated Western unity and the scope of Western reactions to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, write Üzümcü, Ceylan and İldem. However, they note that had such an invasion occurred during Donald Trump’s presidency, the Western reaction may have been quite different.
After the withdrawal from Afghanistan and the AUKUS deal, Ambassadors Tacan Ildem and Fatih Ceylan consider the implications for NATO and the EU and suggest ways to consolidate cooperation between the two organisations.
Turkey and the UK have great potential to strengthen their defence and security cooperation following their recent free trade agreement, write Tacan Ildem and Fatih Ceylan. To take this forward, they should elaborate a Joint Vision Paper (JVP) on enhanced Turkey-UK defence cooperation, to be shared within NATO.
Brexit incentivises the discussions about the role of the non-EU NATO members – including Turkey – in European defence and security, argue Ambassadors Fatih Ceylan and Tacan Ildem. They write that a process of developing a new transatlantic compact could be launched at the upcoming NATO Summit.
Three former Turkish ambassadors to NATO write on how and why to resolve the differences between Turkey and the US over the Turkish purchase of Russian made S-400 air defence systems.