In this episode of Battlegrounds, H.R. McMaster and Ahmet Üzümcü discuss the vital role of Turkey in advancing peace and prosperity in a time of economic distress; strained relations between Ankara and Washington over Turkey’s acquisition of Russian air defense systems; disagreements over US support for Syrian Kurdish forces in the fight against ISIS in Syria; and concerns about Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s authoritarian tendencies and his support for the terrorist organization Hamas, on Wednesday June 26, 2024.

Join former director-general of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons Ahmet Üzümcü, and Hoover senior fellow H.R. McMaster in a deep dive into the current state of US-Turkey (Türkiye) and NATO-Turkey relations. In this episode of Battlegrounds, Ambassador Üzümcü, who has previously served as Turkey’s permanent representative to the United Nations and NATO, Turkish ambassador to Israel, and deputy undersecretary of state for bilateral political affairs, shares his expert insights on the evolving dynamics between Ankara and Washington, Turkey’s controversial acquisition of Russian air defense systems, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s authoritarian policies and support for Hamas, and the broader implications of all these aspects for NATO and stability in the Middle East.

ABOUT THE SPEAKERS

Ahmet Üzümcü served as director-general of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) from 2010 to 2018. Ambassador Üzümcü accepted the Nobel Peace Prize in 2013 on behalf of the OPCW for the organization’s extensive work toward eliminating chemical weapons. Prior to serving this role he was Turkey’s (Türkiye’s) permanent representative to the United Nations, its permanent representative to NATO, Turkish ambassador to Israel, and deputy undersecretary of state for bilateral political affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Ambassador Üzümcü holds a bachelor’s degree in international relations from Ankara University. He currently serves as a senior network member for the European Leadership Network and as a senior advisor for the Council on Strategic Risks.

H.R. McMaster is the Fouad and Michelle Ajami Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University. He is also the Bernard and Susan Liautaud Fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute and lecturer at Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business. He was the 25th assistant to the president for National Security Affairs. Upon graduation from the United States Military Academy in 1984, McMaster served as a commissioned officer in the United States Army for thirty-four years before retiring as a Lieutenant General in June 2018.

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