Is Turkey–Russia New Relationship Endangering NATO?

On Thursday, Erdogan and Putin met in Ankara to discuss the purchase of a Russian missile defense system.

NATO allies have expressed their concerns about this deal for various reasons:

• On the one hand, the Russian system is not compatible with NATO defense systems.
• On the other hand, NATO allies worry about Turkey pivoting to Russia and Iran — a partnership that the Alliance was hoping to contain.

Is NATO endangered by Turkey's actions?

Here, a selection of experts answer the question posed by Judy Dempsey: Is Turkey Weakening NATO?

They all agree that Turkey is drifting away from Western Europe and the trust between them has reached rock bottom. Turkey needs Russia, and here is where lies the problem.

Politically, the partnership complicates the situation, which could escalate very quickly if Erdogan chooses to align with Putin to fight his battles with Germany or the United States.

The relationship between Turkey and NATO (and the EU, and the US...) is severely damaged. And let's not forget that Ankara is one of the strongest allies in the group, both in military terms and strategically speaking.

Luckily, for now, they both need each other. The relationship with Russia might be just a tactical move.