Turkey’s Military Cooperation Network Through Bilateral Relations: the Transition From Military Support Recipient To Provider

Abstract

The article scrutinizes Turkey’s bilateral military cooperation network from a normative perspective. In light of questions surrounding Turkey’s broader military support following the Second Karabakh conflict, the analysis explores Turkey’s bilateral military cooperation within the framework of its NATO membership. The dataset created for the research investigates the 147 bilateral military cooperation agreements that Turkey has established with 84 states between 1990 and 2023. The analysis emphasizes that these agreements have positioned Turkey as a military support provider. The article further argues that Turkey’s military cooperation network reinforces its role in international security, aligning with NATO’s partnership policies, and has the potential to expand Turkey’s regional and global influence. As a result, Turkey’s military cooperation network not only enhances its capacity to foster security but also solidifies its status in international relations. © 2025 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.