Description
NATO has increased its presence and security measures in Black Sea region (BSR) in response to Russia’s annexation of Crimea and following Russian-Ukrainian conflict. It provides knowledge and resources for regional security. Its role in the BSR reflects Alliance’s commitment to collective defence and protection of its member states, also to promote regional stability. Turkey, as both NATO member and littoral state, puts forward its local knowledge and develops its national security strategies to respond to changing security dynamics. This refers to seeking support from Alliances while adapting policies to local conditions. However, local dynamics play stronger role than global/NATO ones. This caused delicate balance between Turkey and NATO. Combining comprehensive review of NATO documents and case studies, this paper asks “What concerns can explain Turkey’s nuanced position between its commitment to NATO and its regional interests during the Russian-Ukrainian conflict?”. It is argued that divergent interests with NATO and differing threat perceptions, relations with Russia and evolving geopolitical landscape led Turkey to pursue different policies than other NATO states. Moreover, NATO is primarily a defence alliance focused on collective security, while Turkey’s interests in the BSR can extend beyond traditional military defence including energy security, economic partnership and political influence.
