A country that aspires to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), Bosnia-Herzegovina (B&H) uses the Partnership for Peace (PfP) framework to strengthen its Armed Forces’ capabilities interoperable with NATO member countries such as Turkey. Turkey, offering 30 million euros worth of military training and equipment to B&H, is one of the biggest supporters of B&H efforts to join NATO. However, Turkey’s new acquisition of the Russian S-400 surface-to-air missile system might jeopardize B&H’s NATO perspective since Ankara recently found itself under the US sanctions, which puts Turkey’s military assistance to B&H into question.
B&H has been working on creating entirely professional Armed Forces interoperable with NATO force’s professional standards since joining the PfP in 2006. The combined joint training between US Air Force and B&H Armed Force held at Glamoc Range in B&H on November 18-19, 2020, demonstrated full interoperability between the future NATO partners. Moreover, the $34 million worth of US donation supporting the B&H Armed Forces’ rescue missions also strengthens cooperation between the two allies. Next to the US, Turkey supports the B&H’s NATO perspective by providing training and equipment to the B&H Armed Forces. With the most recent donation worth 30 million Euros, Turkey’s initiative aims to modernize the B&H defense system and educate B&H Armed Forces’ members. However, if executed, this assistance might undermine B&H’s NATO perspective as Turkey recently established stronger military cooperation with Russia.
In 2017, Turkey signed a $2.5 billion agreement with Russia delivering Ankara S-400 surface-to-air missile batteries amid the US warnings of sanctions over the purchase. Consequently, on December 14, 2020, the US moved forward with its notice. It imposed sanctions on Turkey under Section 231 of the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) for procuring the missile system from Russia. While Turkey’s rapprochement with Russia endangers NATO’s technology and personnel security, the modernized B&H defense system by the Turkey military standards may also fail to meet NATO’s standardization and interoperability criteria under these circumstances. Furthermore, B&H may jeopardize its participation in the Partnership Interoperability Initiative as its Armed Forces personnel might (un)intentionally provide intelligence while on training in Turkey, consequently undermining the B&H Armed Forces’ NATO commitment.
Turkey is a critical NATO member state securing the Alliance’s southern flank. However, it has crossed the red line by establishing unilateral military cooperation with Russia, jeopardizing the Alliance’s overall security. Now under the CAATSA sanctions, Turkey might understand the seriousness of its position within NATO and cancel the acquisition of the S-400 surface-to-air missile system from Russia. Otherwise, Turkey may face additional sanctions that will jeopardize its participation in any present or future NATO initiative. If this is to happen, B&H will have to reject Turkey’s military donation, or it will have to face suspicion from the other NATO member states on its NATO commitment. Either way, the B&H defense system will risk its further development.