NATO and the Turkish-Greek Relationship: A Quest for Cautious Coexistence
NATO and the Turkish-Greek Relationship: A Quest for Cautious Coexistence

Summary/Abstract: Since joining NATO, Türkiye and Greece have been both indispensable allies and persistent sources of intra-alliance tension. This article examines how NATO has managed the enduring rivalry between two indispensable allies in practice. While the literature has largely focused on the causes of rivalry and recurring crises in Turkish-Greek relations, less attention has been paid to how the alliance has accommodated this conflict in its functioning. The article introduces the concept of cautious coexistence to describe a distinct mode of institutional conflict management in which rival allies sustain operational cooperation while political disputes remain unresolved. Drawing on a qualitative analysis of NATO military exercises during the Cold War, post–Cold War operations, and confidence-building measures, the article shows that cooperation between Türkiye and Greece has persisted in limited but functional domains, often shaped by procedural neutrality and pragmatic institutional routines. The findings suggest that NATO’s effectiveness in this case has rested less on resolving disputes than on containing them, preserving interaction, and preventing escalation. The Turkish-Greek relationship thus illustrates a broader pattern in alliance politics: institutions may sustain stability not by eliminating rivalry, but by absorbing and containing its disruptive effects.

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