Add new comment

     Recep Tayyip Erdogan is the President of Turkey. Turkey has been a secular nation since its formation around 1920. Erdogan has worked to bring more religion into the governing of Turkey. He is a controversial figure who has cultivated and angered both the U.S. and Russia. Now he is calling for Turkey to have its own nuclear weapons.
     Erdogan promoted the Turkey defense industry recently at the Central Anatolian Economic Forum in the central province of Sivas. He made special mention of contacts with Russia and the U.S. and said that China would also be approached. He complained that the international community was against Turkey having nuclear weapons. He said, “I do not accept that. Right now, nearly all the countries in the developed world have nuclear missiles.”
    There are currently about fifty U.S. nuclear warheads deployed in Turkey under the NATO nuclear sharing program. These warheads are located at the Turkish Incirlik Base. They are under U.S. control but there are concerns about their safety because of regional instability and political differences of involved nations.
     Turkey signed the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) in 1980. This treaty opposed the possession of nuclear weapons by any nations other than the “recognized” nuclear powers including Russia, the U.S., France, the U.K. and China. In spite of the Treaty, other countries who have not signed have developed their own nuclear weapons including India, Pakistan, North Korea and Israel.
     Turkey has been a member of NATO since 1952. Recently Turkey has been working on improving its relationship with Russia. This has caused problems in Turkey’s relationship with member of NATO. After all, it was in opposition to Russia that NATA created the nuclear sharing program which has resulted in the deployment of U.S. nuclear warheads in Turkey. In spite of U.S. warnings, Turkey has purchased and installed the Russian S-400 surface-to-air missile system. Turkish Defense Ministry personnel have begun training on the S-400 system in Russia. 
     In reaction to Turkey’s purchase of the S-400 system, U.S. President Trump suspended their participation in the advanced F-35 fifth-generation fighter jet program. Russian President Putin responded to Trump’s action by demonstrating the Russian fifth-generation Su-57 fighter when Erdogan attended the International Aviation and Space Show (MAKS) at the Zhukovsky International Airport outside Moscow.
   In spite of issues around advanced fighters, Turkey is still interested in U.S. weapons. Erdogan said today that he would be discussing purchase of a U.S. Patriot surface-to-air missile system with U.S. representatives soon. While the Russian S-400 system can be used against both enemy aircraft and enemy missiles, the U.S. Patriot system can only be used against enemy missiles. Erdogan said that he would only buy the Patriot system if he was offered the same terms that Russia gave him for the S-400 system.
     Turkey has worked with both the U.S. and Russia in Syria even thought all three nations have different and, in some cases, competing interests. Turkey is the last major foreign sponsor for Syrian rebels who were once backed by the U.S. However, Turkey did join with Assad allies Russia and Iran in a trilateral peace process in Syria.