POST-COLD WAR SECURITY DYNAMICS; NATO’S TRANSFORMATION AND U.S. -TÜRKIYE MILITARY RELATIONS

Abstract

This study examines NATO's post-Cold War adjustment to the international security order and its effects on defense relations between the US and Türkiye. The main objective of the study is to analyse Türkiye's and the United States' approaches to the alliance and their mutual security priorities in light of the change in NATO's strategic orientation. In qualitative research, official NATO reports and secondary sources were analyzed with the help of document analysis. Additionally, critical events such as the F-35 fighter aircraft program and Türkiye’s purchase of the S-400 air defence system were studied using case studies. The findings show that NATO's transformation process has facilitated integration and cooperation as a whole but, at times, strategic differences among members can lead to deep tensions. The S-400 crisis itself is the very best example of the challenges the alliance is facing in the matter of cooperation in defence production, technology sharing and mistrust issues. In conclusion, NATO's long-term success depends on its capacity to balance the differences in strategic interests among its members through constructive diplomacy and flexible adjustment mechanisms.