At a time when the only NATO presence in West Asia was in Ukraine, Turkey is acting as a mediator between the United States and the Middle East. Furthermore:
“Turkey’s pitch to the alliance has always rested on a kind of paradox: that its independent streak – talking to Moscow, operating in Syria, sparring publicly with Israel over Gaza. – makes it more useful to NATO. NATO needed the American president in the room, and Trump wanted a friendly stage; Erdogan supplied both, while extracting a promise on sanctions and an opening on fighter jets in return.”
Read more in RT
