20-year Turkish strongman, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan
Turkish cadets on parade
Turkey is a NATO member state. It has upwards of 50 B61 nuclear bombs.
Despite its strategic importance to NATO, Turkey has historically from the 20th century onward posed some problems for the West and NATO.
Here is a timeline of Turkish actions:Turkey’s Military History Since NATO Membership (1952–Present) 1950–53: Sent ~15,000 troops to Korea under UN/NATO, heavy casualties (~700 killed). 1952: Joined NATO with Greece, securing its role as a Cold War frontline state. 1961–63: Hosted U.S. Jupiter nuclear missiles; withdrawn after Cuban Missile Crisis deal. 1964: U.S. President Johnson’s warning letter over Cyprus intervention. 1974: Turkey invaded northern Cyprus after Greek coup → NATO unity crisis; U.S. arms embargo (1975–78). Continued NATO membership but focused on domestic counterinsurgency against the PKK. Military coups (1980) strained relations but Turkey remained a NATO anchor. 1991: Gulf War—Incirlik Air Base used by coalition, Kurdish refugee crisis. Contributed to NATO missions in Bosnia & Kosovo, peacekeeping and combat support, most obviously motivated by the pro-Muslim mission there. 2001–14: Major role in NATO’s ISAF mission in Afghanistan, commanding it twice; non-combat roles in training and security. 2003: Parliament refused U.S. request to invade Iraq from Turkish territory. 2012: NATO deployed Patriot missile batteries after Syrian shelling and jet downing. 2015–present: Turkish cross-border operations in Syria against ISIS and Kurdish groups. 2016: Failed coup attempt; NATO strained as Turkey accused Western complicity. 2017–19: Purchase of Russian S-400 system → U.S. sanctions, NATO tensions. 2022–present: Ukraine war—Turkey supplied Bayraktar drones to Kyiv, closed straits to Russian warships, but maintained ties with Moscow. Continues to field NATO’s second-largest army, balancing between alliance duties and independent policy.
Turkey is a NATO member state. It has upwards of 50 B61 nuclear bombs.
Despite its strategic importance to NATO, Turkey has historically from the 20th century onward posed some problems for the West and NATO.
Here is a timeline of Turkish actions:Turkey’s Military History Since NATO Membership (1952–Present) 1950–53: Sent ~15,000 troops to Korea under UN/NATO, heavy casualties (~700 killed). 1952: Joined NATO with Greece, securing its role as a Cold War frontline state. 1961–63: Hosted U.S. Jupiter nuclear missiles; withdrawn after Cuban Missile Crisis deal. 1964: U.S. President Johnson’s warning letter over Cyprus intervention. 1974: Turkey invaded northern Cyprus after Greek coup → NATO unity crisis; U.S. arms embargo (1975–78). Continued NATO membership but focused on domestic counterinsurgency against the PKK. Military coups (1980) strained relations but Turkey remained a NATO anchor. 1991: Gulf War—Incirlik Air Base used by coalition, Kurdish refugee crisis. Contributed to NATO missions in Bosnia & Kosovo, peacekeeping and combat support, most obviously motivated by the pro-Muslim mission there. 2001–14: Major role in NATO’s ISAF mission in Afghanistan, commanding it twice; non-combat roles in training and security. 2003: Parliament refused U.S. request to invade Iraq from Turkish territory. 2012: NATO deployed Patriot missile batteries after Syrian shelling and jet downing. 2015–present: Turkish cross-border operations in Syria against ISIS and Kurdish groups. 2016: Failed coup attempt; NATO strained as Turkey accused Western complicity. 2017–19: Purchase of Russian S-400 system → U.S. sanctions, NATO tensions. 2022–present: Ukraine war—Turkey supplied Bayraktar drones to Kyiv, closed straits to Russian warships, but maintained ties with Moscow. Continues to field NATO’s second-largest army, balancing between alliance duties and independent policy.
Articles
The Turkish National Anthem
Location of Incirlik Air Base, Turkey
Map of Turkey