ABSTRACT
Turkey’s aim to join the so-called West after the end of World War II was largely born out of necessity. Throughout the Cold War, Turkey’s relationship with NATO and the United States was fraught with complications; however, both sides implicitly valued the relationship from the perspective of collective security. For Turkey, a Western anchor – mainly typified by its strategic partnership with the United States and membership in NATO – was by and large an elite-driven and supported policy, often lacking widespread public confidence. Since coming to power in 2022, the governing Justice and Development Party has gradually come to question the value of the country’s bedrock pro-Western orientation. Since the beginning of the Arab uprisings in 2010, Turkey has increasingly grown at odds with NATO and US interests. How can this be explained? Additionally, since 2013, there has also been visible discord between Turkey and its Western partners. What explanations can be offered to explain Turkey’s de-anchoring from Western policies and what are likely to be its lasting consequences? Turkey today is distrusted by the majority of its partners and allies for the trajectory of authoritarianism pursued by President Tayyip Erdogan and the de-institutionalized manner in which the country is being run.
