Turkey’s suppression of democratic opposition would have elicited strong protests from Europe in the past. But now, the worst rift in trans-Atlantic relations in generations and the growing threat from Russia are trumping those concerns.
With the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s second-largest army and a robust defense industry, Turkey is crucial for European security at a time when President Trump’s administration is seeking a broad accommodation with the Kremlin and is treating its European allies with open hostility.
As European leaders started planning security cooperation without the U.S. following the disastrous White House meeting between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, senior Turkish officials took pride of place. The European Union’s new white paper on defense, which outlines Europe’s massive rearmament drive, has named Turkey—alongside the U.K., Norway and Canada—as a key partner in ensuring European security.