12. Turkey Blocks NATO Defense Plans (2019)
In December 2019, Turkey exercised its veto power within NATO to block the alliance’s defense plans for Eastern European members, particularly Poland and the Baltic states. This move was in response to NATO’s refusal to recognize the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a Kurdish militia in Syria, as a legitimate partner. Turkey views the SDF as an extension of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which it considers a terrorist organization. The veto highlighted the complexities of balancing member states’ security concerns with the alliance’s collective defense commitments (reuters.com).
