Transformation of NATO in the light of the changing security paradigms after 9/11 and its repercussions on Turkey

This study examines the change in NATO's security perception in the post-September 11 period and its effects on the security of the Republic of Turkey. First of all, the conceptual framework of security and security, which gained a wide dimension after 1990, was studied from the perspective of realism. Subsequently, the transformation of NATO in the same period and the changes in the perception of security were examined. Then, in order to make sense of the change in the security perception of the Republic of Turkey, first the Turkish security perception was examined historically, and then the decisions of the National Security Council and the Government Programs of the ruling party were examined in order to compare them. In the research, it has been understood that NATO constitutes an important pillar in the security architecture of the Republic of Turkey. However, it cannot be said that there is an agreement between NATO and the Republic of Turkey on all issues. It is seen that the Republic of Turkey has both geographical problems and historical problems taken from the Ottoman Empire, and it has made efforts to combat these problems without NATO support. At the forefront of these issues is the problem of terrorism, which is a national security problem, and separatism. Another entrenched problem is the Aegean and Mediterranean-based problems with Greece. Both problems have historical roots. Especially after the annexation of Crimea by Russia in 2014, Turkey has been developing a special bilateral relationship with Russia, which has again been seen as a threat by NATO. It can be said that the most important reasons for this are Russia's historically being in the same geography, Turkey's use of Russian airspace in its cross-border operations to the north of Syria, acqusition of Russian S-400 missiles, and Turkey's first Nuclear Power Plant, which is under construction in Mersin, is being built by Russia. In short, while Turkey benefits from NATO's security umbrella, it sometimes contradicts NATO in order to protect its own national interests. For example, Turkey did not support to the NATO membership of Sweden and Finland on the grounds that they supported terrorism. In summary, it can be said that Turkey is trying to carry out its foreign policy in parallel with NATO, but it is a questioning member of NATO in line with its national interests.