Relationship dossier
Turkey
United States
Relationship assessment
A durable NATO alliance marked by security cooperation and recurring disputes over Syria and defense procurement.
Turkey toward United States
-5Turkey has maintained NATO security cooperation with the United States and permitted US forces to use Incirlik Air Base. However, Turkey’s purchase of Russia’s S-400 system triggered major bilateral friction, and Ankara has objected to US support for Kurdish forces in Syria.
United States toward Turkey
-5The United States has maintained NATO security cooperation with Turkey, but imposed CAATSA sanctions over Turkey’s S-400 purchase and removed Turkey from the F-35 program. US support for Kurdish forces in Syria has also remained a source of Turkish concern.
Overall relationship
+5The relationship is anchored in a long-standing NATO alliance and practical security cooperation, including US use of Incirlik Air Base. Those ties coexist with significant disagreements over Turkey’s S-400 acquisition and US policy toward Kurdish forces in Syria, producing a durable but frequently strained partnership.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Turkey and the United States remain NATO allies with substantial security ties, including US access to Incirlik Air Base and cooperation against the Islamic State. Their relationship has also faced serious disputes: Turkey’s purchase of Russia’s S-400 system led to US sanctions and Turkey’s removal from the F-35 program, while US support for Kurdish forces in Syria has been a persistent Turkish concern.
Areas of tension
- Turkey’s acquisition of Russia’s S-400 air-defense system and the resulting US sanctions and F-35 program decision.
- US support for Kurdish forces in Syria, which Turkey opposes.
Key developments
The United States removed Turkey from the F-35 program following Turkey’s acquisition of the Russian S-400 system.
The United States imposed CAATSA sanctions on Turkey over its S-400 acquisition.
Major uncertainties
- The scope and practical effects of continuing bilateral defense cooperation are unclear.
- The durability of efforts to manage disputes over Syria and Turkey’s Russian-made S-400 system is uncertain.