Material Breach

The Legal Case for Suspending Türkiye from NATO

Under the leadership of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (President Erdoğan), Türkiye has undergone significant democratic backsliding and erosion of fundamental freedoms over the past decade. Although the North Atlantic Treaty contains no explicit mechanism for suspension, this paper submits that Türkiye can and should be suspended from the alliance.

Section I examines Türkiye’s conduct under President Erdoğan, including systematic human rights abuses, sponsorship of terrorist groups, and growing alignment with authoritarian powers such as Russia and China, all of which contravene the object and purpose of the North Atlantic Treaty. Section II analyzes the legal feasibility of suspending Türkiye from NATO. Section III concludes that a suspension is advisable to preserve the integrity of the alliance and to deter other member states from undermining its collective mission, with reference to the comparative example of Hungary. Section IV highlights Canada’s potential role, and alignment of this issue with Canadian policy priorities.

Our Policy Paper

TÜRKIYE’S DEPARTURE FROM THE OBJECT AND PURPOSE OF THE NORTH ATLANTIC TREATY

The state of human rights, the rule of law, and democratic governance in Türkiye have been in decline for decades. While many of the violations highlighted in this document are long-standing and ongoing, this section focuses on developments since 2014, during which Türkiye’s internal repression and external conduct have become increasingly inconsistent with NATO’s foundational values.