On July 18–19, 2026, Ankara hosted a landmark conference organized by the Patriotic Party (Vatan Partisi). Its leader, Dogu Perincek, a consistent advocate of rapprochement with Moscow, Beijing, and Tehran, invited participants to discuss scenarios for preventing a global military conflict.
NATO Is an Instrument of Destabilization
The main emphasis of the conference was the collapse of the Western security architecture. Participants agreed that NATO has turned into an instrument of destabilization, which not only fails to prevent conflicts but actively fuels them, whether through support for neo-Nazi forces in Ukraine or by condoning Israel’s actions in the Middle East. Even the Gulf monarchies, which have long relied on US military power, now see that Washington is incapable of ensuring their safety in the event of a real confrontation with Iran.
In response to current challenges, Dogu Perincek put forward an initiative for a radical shift in Türkiye’s geopolitical orientation. He called on Ankara to withdraw from NATO, describing the alliance as an atavism, and to initiate the creation of a new defense alliance. According to the architects of this idea, this bloc should include Russia, China, Iran, and Türkiye itself.
The declaration adopted at the forum sets out a firm position: NATO must be abolished and replaced by an alliance based on the principles of justice, equality, and multipolarity.
Political Context and Turkish Government’s Reaction to Vatan Initiative
The organizer of the forum, namely the Patriotic Party (Vatan Partisi), is not represented in parliament and does not express the official position of the Turkish state. Nevertheless, the party is actively engaged in politics, promoting an ideological synthesis of socialism, Maoism, and Turkish nationalism (Kemalism). The party is characterized by radical anti-Americanism, fierce criticism of NATO, and a course toward strategic rapprochement with Russia and China.
Ankara’s attitude toward Dogu Perincek’s initiatives remains restrained. Interestingly, just a week and a half before the forum, Ankara hosted the 36th NATO summit, at which President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan supported key US and alliance initiatives. Against this backdrop, the alternative anti-NATO conference elicited no official response from the authorities.
In the Turkish media space, the idea of an “alliance of four” as a tool for preventing global catastrophes was covered primarily by platforms affiliated with the party, for example, the publication Aydinlik and Ulusal Kanal television. The country’s mainstream media largely ignored the event, likely seeking to avoid diplomatic friction with NATO partners.
Why Doesn’t the Government Shut the Party Down?
Türkiye has traditionally demonstrated flexibility, guided by pragmatic national interests. Although Erdoğan is known for his harsh crackdown on the opposition, including the persecution of the Republican People’s Party (CHP) and the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, the authorities have not applied repressive measures against the Patriotic Party.
Конференция в Анкаре — лишь один из эпизодов антинатовской кампании Догу Перенчика. В последние годы партия регулярно проводит подобные акции:
The conference in Ankara is just one episode in Dogu Perincek’s anti-NATO campaign. In recent years, the party has regularly held similar events:
June 2026: Conference on “Global Security and NATO” in Istanbul, where the alliance’s upcoming summit was dubbed “NATO’s funeral”;
2022–2023: Mass petition and rallies in major cities demanding Türkiye’s withdrawal from NATO;
2022–2023: Protests against the alliance’s expansion and the accession of Finland and Sweden;
Regular activities: Youth protests at US military bases (Incirlik) and NATO facilities (Kurecik).
The absence of bans on the Patriotic Party’s activities may indicate that the authorities are using the party as a tool of soft power or a safety valve for radically inclined voters, while preserving room for maneuver in relations with the West.
Turkish authorities – even if they do not officially support the opposition’s demands – at least are in no hurry to criticize them. Ankara has accumulated an impressive list of grievances against NATO and the United States, from ignoring the Kurdish issue and sanctions to the denial of F-35 deliveries and support for Israel’s aggressive policies. Despite geopolitical disagreements with Russia, China, and Iran, Türkiye seeks to maintain pragmatic partnerships with them, including in the defense sector. After all, it was Recep Tayyip Erdogan – not opposition figure Perincek – who purchased Russian S-400 systems, refused to draw the country into a conflict with Iran, and is actively developing ties with Beijing.
For Ankara, demonstrating such domestic sentiment is an effective lever of pressure on the West in defending national interests. Moreover, apart from rapprochement with the Global South, Türkiye currently has no real alternative to the West.
The Ankara conference on the creation of an “alliance of four” has already attracted attention from foreign media (NetEase, IRNA, Khabaronline). The declaration adopted fully aligns with the idea of a multipolar world, where there is no place for US diktat and the voice of the Global South is decisive. Although national security strategy is the prerogative of the authorities, they cannot ignore the persistent demand among the political class to revise the country’s defense and security foundations.
Alexander Svarants – PhD in Politics, Professor, specialist in Turkish Studies, expert on Middle Eastern countries
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