Which leverages would Turkey lose by abondoning nato and why?
Turkey won't leave nato just yet as there are ongoing projects where our defense industry got stakes in (e.g. F35). Furthermore, unfortunately Turkey doesn't have a long range indigenous anti-air system, hence the patriots were requested from other nato members. So there's this dependency for now. Then there are also nato-origin components that are used in our indigenous projects, especially pointing at those critical motors.
However, on the bright side, all of these dependencies can and will be overcome at some point when our defense industry will be able to develop such critical parts. In the beginning of 2014 the Turkish defense industry was able to address 65% of its own needs, 25% through TOT/co-development/etc. and 10% through off-the-shelf. Situation should be more favorable after almost 3 years. What i want to say is, as time goes on Turkey will be able to solve the above mentioned issues and nato/US will lose this product/technology leverage over us.
So, Turkey may lose some nato related leverages/bonuses, but it is nato/US that will lose more. No more nato radars on Turkish soil, no more another nato flank for Russia to worry about, no more Incirlik airbase, no more advantage of our geopolitical location, no more a loyal buyer of mostly nato systems etc. Imo, the only not simply overcomeable disadvantage for Turkey would be losing those nukes.
Nato has been more of a curse than a blessing. Remember, Turkey joined nato simply due to Soviet aggression back then. Had our country been strong and self-sufficient enough to play the neutral card, then right now we would not have been in nato. Thanks to US embargo during the 70's our state opened its eyes and started to make serious effort on an indigenous defense industry, otherwise our self-sufficiency would have been even lower now. Ironically, even though we are now part of the nato, US and some west European countries are openly supporting and housing the pkk/ypg (even openly providing them weapons in north Syria) dhkp-c and Gulenists against us, even though the former 2 are on their terror list, for decades. Greece acquired S300 from Russia without a problem, but when Turkey was interested in HQ9, all hell broke loose, and probably will again if Turkey is really interested in the S400. US and EU (nato) are plain hypocrite and evil, unless you play along with them or serve a purpose. With such 'allies' Turkey doesn't need enemies. For too long Nato has benefitted more from Turkey than vice versa.
