Turkiye joined NATO in 1952, three years after the Washington Treaty

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Turkiye joined NATO in 1952, three years after the Washington Treaty

Background

Turkiye is a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. NATO was created by 12 countries from Europe and North America on 4 April 1949, when the North Atlantic Treaty was signed in Washington; Turkiye was not one of those founding members. Three years after the signing of the Washington Treaty, on 18 February 1952, Greece and Turkiye joined NATO. Article 10 of the North Atlantic Treaty sets out how countries can join the Alliance, membership being open to any European state in a position to further the principles of the Treaty and to contribute to the security of the North Atlantic area. As of 2026, NATO has 32 member countries.

Date Turkiye joined NATO: 18 February 1952 Joined on the same day as: Greece North Atlantic Treaty signed: 4 April 1949 Founding members: 12 Member countries (as of 2026): 32 Accession article of the Treaty: Article 10

Why it matters for exams: Turkiye is the standard example of a NATO member that is not an EU member, so examiners use it to test whether a candidate can tell a security alliance apart from an economic and political union.

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14 October 2026 Source: NATO - Member countries

In plain words

Washington Treaty North Atlantic Treaty — The founding treaty of NATO, signed on 4 April 1949 by 12 countries of Europe and North America.

Article 10 — The open door clause of the North Atlantic Treaty, which sets out how a European state can be invited to join the Alliance.

Candidate country — A state whose application to join the European Union has been accepted for negotiation but which is not yet a member; Turkiye applied in 1987, was declared a candidate at Helsinki in December 1999 and opened accession negotiations in 2005.