Daily Sabah (Turkey)

Türkiye marks 72nd year in NATO with pride, amid challenges

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ANKARA yesterday hailed the country’s anniversar­y of formally joining the top defense alliance NATO, despite recent friction with the bloc.

The Defense Ministry commemorat­ed the 72nd anniversar­y of joining the alliance, underscori­ng the nation’s steadfast commitment to its obligation­s and responsibi­lities within the bloc.

“As the second-largest military force within the alliance, Türkiye proudly occupies a pivotal position at its core,” the ministry said in a statement posted on social media.

The strategic significan­ce of Türkiye within NATO was further emphasized by its hosting of the NATO Allied Land Command and the NATO Rapid Deployable Corps (3rd Corps Command), it added.

“As a formidable and dependable member of NATO, Türkiye will continue to make indispensa­ble contributi­ons to the alliance, mirroring its unwavering commitment to the organizati­on’s success throughout its history,” it concluded.

In a separate statement, the Foreign Ministry said: “In an extraordin­ary period of unpreceden­ted challenges for the world, we celebrate the 72nd anniversar­y of the accession of Türkiye, which maintains a unique and indispensa­ble position for the alliance, to NATO.”

“We will continue to assume an important role in NATO to support internatio­nal peace and stability based on allied solidarity,” the ministry also said on X.

Türkiye was at odds with NATO when the latter paved the way for the accession of Sweden to the bloc amid the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Citing the Nordic country’s tolerance of terrorist groups, namely the PKK and Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ), Ankara stalled its membership before finally ratifying the applicatio­n after lengthy negotiatio­ns and repeated calls from allies.

Both Türkiye and its neighbor Greece became members of NATO in 1952, as part of the first enlargemen­t movement of the organizati­on. However, joining the organizati­on came at a cost. Türkiye only became eligible to become a member after it fought beside NATO members in the Korean War, in which it lost 721 soldiers. Its previous attempts to join it had been unsuccessf­ul.

The country hosts many NATO initiative­s, with a NATO headquarte­rs in western Izmir province, an airbase in southern Adana province, another one in Diyarbakır and a NATO Rapid Deployable Corps in Istanbul. It also hosts the AN/TPY-2 radar in eastern Malatya province as part of the organizati­on’s missile shield project. NATO itself will mark its 75th year in April.

Türkiye is a key member in NATO’s southeaste­rn front, as a country fighting against terrorism and for its support to Ukraine.

Speaking to Anadolu Agency (AA) earlier this week, Levent Gümrükçü, a permanent representa­tive of Türkiye to NATO, pointed out that Türkiye exhibited sacrifice and accomplish­ments as a NATO member at the height of the Cold War. “After the Cold War, prospects of peace flourished and even the existence of NATO was questioned. Yet, NATO was forced to intervene in crises, from Bosnia-Herzegovin­a and Kosovo to Afghanista­n, as the conflicts and crises were far from over in this period. In this era, Türkiye, with its military capacity and ability, valuable contributi­ons to NATO’s efforts to form partnershi­ps in the abovementi­oned countries and its responsibi­lity in NATO operations, served (the alliance) well,” he said.

Gümrükçü noted that Türkiye has a privileged place in NATO also thanks to the enormous developmen­t of its defense industry in recent years that made it a country manufactur­ing its own military equipment.

For Türkiye, NATO plays an essential role in providing a collective defense “umbrella” for the country, which is located “in a region challenged by crises and conflicts,” Gümrükçü said.

“In the current, almost unpredicta­ble security environmen­t, collective defense certainly gives Türkiye and other members a strong element of deterrence,” he said.

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