Turkey, a NATO member located on the Black Sea, is in a balancing act between Russia and NATO as the war in Ukraine continues. (Photo from Adobe Stock)
Turkey has been called a “frenemy” of the United States, sometimes friendly and other times hostile. It is a NATO member located strategically on the Black Sea, but it seems to be on the fence with Russia’s war on Ukraine.
- Ryan Brobst, research analyst at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, said the United States government should do the following: encourage Turkey to send more arms to Ukraine, use incentives and disincentives to discourage further defense cooperation with Russia and temper any expectations for a diplomatic breakthrough with Turkey.
- Brobst said Turkey has sent TB2 drones to Ukraine and seems willing to send more supplies but does not seem ready to send other systems.
- He said Turkey used to be a committed NATO member but steadily drifted towards Russia under President Erdogan.
President of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, made a statement after the cabinet meeting with the agenda of Russia and Ukraine on February 28, 2022 in Ankara, Turkey. (Photo by Presidential Press Office via Getty Images)
