World

Why Turkey Keeps Playing Both Sides

Wêrom Turkije Hieltyd Beide Kanten Spilet

March 27, 2026 · Frisian News

Turkey maintains strategic partnerships with Russia, the West, and regional powers, refusing to choose sides in major conflicts. Ankara's balancing act serves its national interests but frustrates allies who expect loyalty.

English

Turkey blocked Sweden's NATO bid for months, then approved it. Turkey bought Russian missiles while remaining a NATO member. Turkey negotiates with Ukraine, Russia, and the West on grain exports and energy deals. Ankara does not pick teams. It picks advantages. This strategy has turned the country into an indispensable broker in crises that matter to Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. It has also earned Turkey the distrust of almost everyone.

Turkish leadership sees no reason to choose. The country sits at the crossroads between Europe and Asia, between the Mediterranean and Central Asia, between NATO and the Arab world. Russia needs Turkish ports and trade. Europe needs Turkish cooperation on migration and security. The United States needs Turkish airspace and military bases. Each side offers something Ankara wants. Each side fears losing Turkey more than it fears Turkey's hedging.

This worked because the world tolerated ambiguity. When conflicts stayed regional, Turkey could talk to all parties without looking traitorous. But the Ukraine war changed the math. NATO expects members to align. Russia demands loyalty from its friends. Turkey did neither. Ankara allowed grain shipments to cross its waters. It condemned the invasion in the UN while refusing to join sanctions. It sold drones to Ukraine while keeping energy deals with Moscow. The balancing act grew harder to maintain.

Domestic politics also drives Turkish strategy. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan uses foreign partnerships to strengthen his grip at home. Russian gas keeps Turkish cities warm and Turkish voters angry at the West. NATO membership keeps the military in line and defense spending flowing. Regional allies in Syria and Iraq give Erdogan room to fight Kurdish groups. Playing all sides lets him claim victories with everyone, and blame setbacks on Western bias or Russian treachery.

Turkey's gamble depends on the world staying messy. If Russia collapses, if NATO hardens into a true military alliance, if the Middle East settles into fixed blocs, then Turkey loses its leverage. For now, Ankara keeps talking to Moscow while hosting NATO summits. The strategy looks cynical to outsiders. To Turkish planners, it looks like the only way a medium power survives when empires circle the table.

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Read this story in Frysk

Frysk

Turkije blokkeare de NAVO-tatreding fan Sweden moannen lang, dêrnei stimde it yn. Turkije kocht Russyske raketten wylst it lid fan de NAVO bleau. Turkije ûnderhandelet mei Oekraïne, Ruslân en it Westen oer nôteksport en enerzjydeals. Ankara kiest gjin partij. It kiest foardielen. Dizze strategy makke it lân ta in ûnmisbare tuskenpersoan yn krizen dy't wichtich binne foar Europa, it Midden-Easten en Aazje. It hat Turkije ek it wantrouwen fan hast elkenien opsmiten.

Turkske lieders sjogge gjin reden om te kiezen. It lân leit op it krúspunt tusken Europa en Aazje, tusken de Middellânske See en Sintraal-Aazje, tusken de NAVO en de Arabyske wrâld. Ruslân hat Turkske havens en hannel nedich. Europa hat Turkske gearwurking nedich foar migraasje en feilichheid. De Feriene Steaten hat Turksk loftromte en militêre bases nedich. Elke kant biedt wat Ankara wol. Elke kant freest Turkije kwyt te reitsjen mear as it it Turkske lavearjen freest.

Dit wurke om't de wrâld ûndúdlikheid tolerearre. Doe't konflikten regionaal bleauwen, koe Turkije mei alle partijen prate sûnder ferriedlik oer te kommen. Mar de oarloch yn Oekraïne feroare de rekken. De NAVO ferwachtet dat leden har oanslute. Ruslân easket loyaliteit fan syn freonen. Turkije die gjin fan beide. Ankara liet nôtsendingen oer syn wetters. It feroardiele de ynfal by de VN mar wegere sanksjes yn te stellen. It ferkocht drones oan Oekraïne wylst it enerzjydeals mei Moskou oanging. It balansearjen waard dreger fol te hâlden.

Binnenlânske polityk stjoert ek Turkske strategy. Presidint Recep Tayyip Erdogan brûkt bûtenlânske partnerskippen om syn gryp thús te fersterkjen. Russysk gas hâldt Turkske stêden waarm en Turkske kiezers lilk op it Westen. NAVO-lidmaatskip hâldt it leger op syn plak en definsje-útjeften streame. Regionale bûnsmaten yn Syrje en Irak jouwe Erdogan romte om Koerdyske groepen te bestriden. Mei elkenien spylje lit him winsten opeaskje by elkenien, en ferliezen ta Westerse foaroardiel of Russyske ferrierij ta te skriuwen.

Turkije syn gok hinget ôf fan in rommelige wrâld. As Ruslân ynstoart, as de NAVO ferhurdet ta in echt militêre alliânsje, as it Midden-Easten yn fêste blokken útkristallisearret, dan ferlieset Turkije syn hefboomkrêft. Foarlopich bliuwt Ankara mei Moskou prate wylst it NAVO-toppen organisearret. De strategy sjocht der synysk út foar bûtensteanders. Foar Turkske planners sjocht it derút as de iennige manier wêrop in middelgrutte macht oerlibbet as impearia om 'e tafel sitte.

Published March 27, 2026 · Frisian News