Turkey in NATO

Turkey has been a member of NATO since 1952, has its second largest army and is the host of the Allied Land Command headquarters. The Incirlik and Konya Airbases have both been involved in several NATO military operations since their establishment. The current ambassador to NATO is Zeki Levent Gümrükçü.

Turkey's actions under Erdogan's administration have caused friction within NATO. Controversies include its acquisition of Russian S-400 missile systems (which led to US sanctions and removal from the F-35 program) alongside independent military operations in Libya and Syria and aggressive rhetoric toward another NATO member: Greece. It has been argued that Turkey's democratic backsliding would prevent it from qualifying for NATO membership if it were applying to join the alliance today.