Research Article

BEYOND COLLECTIVE DEFENSE: NATO IN AN ERA OF CRITICAL THEORY AND ASYMMETRIC THREATS

Volume: 9 Number: 1 June 30, 2026
TR EN

BEYOND COLLECTIVE DEFENSE: NATO IN AN ERA OF CRITICAL THEORY AND ASYMMETRIC THREATS

Abstract

This study analyzes the future of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) within the framework of critical theories in the discipline of international relations and economic models of alliances. Since the 1980s, the rise of feminism, post-positivism, and critiques of neorealism (Ashley, Foucault, Tickner, etc.) has opened the rationalist and male-dominated structure of traditional security architectures to questioning. In the study, concurrently with these theoretical critiques, imbalances in burden-sharing within NATO are examined through Todd Sandler’s approach to the economics of alliances. It is argued that, particularly in the post-2020 period, the increase in asymmetric threats and the emergence of new domains such as supply chain sustainability, cybersecurity, and space security have transformed the definition of collective security. Drawing on the concept of “rupture” emphasized by Carney in his 2026 Davos speech, the strategic autonomy pursuits and balancing policies of middle powers such as Türkiye, Germany, and Canada are addressed as case studies. As a result, it is assessed that NATO, in the face of changing threat perceptions and economic sustainability crises, must transform from being solely a military alliance into a regional and thematic security architecture.

Keywords

Ethical Statement

This study utilized publicly available news archives as the primary & secondary data source, analyzed through qualitative research and content analysis methods. Since the research involved the analysis of pre-existing, publicly accessible documents, formal institutional ethics committee approval was not required.

References

  1. Ashley, R. K. (1984). The poverty of neorealism. International Organization, 38(2), 225-286.
  2. Aydın, M. (1996). Uluslararası ilişkilerde yaklaşım, teori ve analiz. Ankara Üniversitesi Siyasal Bilgiler Fakültesi Dergisi, 51(1), 71-114.
  3. Booth, K., & Smith, S. (Eds.). (1995). International relations theory today. Cambridge University Press.
  4. Boynton, S. (2026, January 20). Read the full transcript of Carney's speech to World Economic Forum. Global News. https://globalnews.ca/news/11620877/carney-davos-wef-speech-transcript/
  5. Emeklier, B. (2011). Discussions on the epistemological paradigm in the discipline of international relations: Postpositivist theories. Bilge Strateji, 2(4), 139-184.
  6. Department of National Defence. (2024). Our North, Strong and Free: A Renewed Vision for Canada’s Defence. Government of Canada. https://www.canada.ca/en/department-national-defence/corporate/policies-standards/our-north-strong-free.html
  7. Foucault, M. (1982). The subject and power. Critical Inquiry, 8(4), 777-795.
  8. Kreps, S. (2010). Elite consensus as a determinant of alliance cohesion: Why public opinion hardly matters for NATO-led operations in Afghanistan. Foreign Policy Analysis, 191-215. DOI:10.1111/j.1743-8594.2010.00108.x

Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

International Security, International Institutions

Journal Section

Research Article

Publication Date

June 30, 2026

Submission Date

April 8, 2026

Acceptance Date

June 7, 2026

Published in Issue

Year 2026 Volume: 9 Number: 1

APA
Özbek, C. A. (2026). BEYOND COLLECTIVE DEFENSE: NATO IN AN ERA OF CRITICAL THEORY AND ASYMMETRIC THREATS. Uluslararası İlişkiler Ve Diplomasi, 9(1), 37-49. https://doi.org/10.51763/uid.1926015
AMA
1.Özbek CA. BEYOND COLLECTIVE DEFENSE: NATO IN AN ERA OF CRITICAL THEORY AND ASYMMETRIC THREATS. Uluslararası İlişkiler ve Diplomasi. 2026;9(1):37-49. doi:10.51763/uid.1926015
Chicago
Özbek, Cuma Ali. 2026. “BEYOND COLLECTIVE DEFENSE: NATO IN AN ERA OF CRITICAL THEORY AND ASYMMETRIC THREATS”. Uluslararası İlişkiler Ve Diplomasi 9 (1): 37-49. https://doi.org/10.51763/uid.1926015.
EndNote
Özbek CA (June 1, 2026) BEYOND COLLECTIVE DEFENSE: NATO IN AN ERA OF CRITICAL THEORY AND ASYMMETRIC THREATS. Uluslararası İlişkiler ve Diplomasi 9 1 37–49.
IEEE
[1]C. A. Özbek, “BEYOND COLLECTIVE DEFENSE: NATO IN AN ERA OF CRITICAL THEORY AND ASYMMETRIC THREATS”, Uluslararası İlişkiler ve Diplomasi, vol. 9, no. 1, pp. 37–49, June 2026, doi: 10.51763/uid.1926015.
ISNAD
Özbek, Cuma Ali. “BEYOND COLLECTIVE DEFENSE: NATO IN AN ERA OF CRITICAL THEORY AND ASYMMETRIC THREATS”. Uluslararası İlişkiler ve Diplomasi 9/1 (June 1, 2026): 37-49. https://doi.org/10.51763/uid.1926015.
JAMA
1.Özbek CA. BEYOND COLLECTIVE DEFENSE: NATO IN AN ERA OF CRITICAL THEORY AND ASYMMETRIC THREATS. Uluslararası İlişkiler ve Diplomasi. 2026;9:37–49.
MLA
Özbek, Cuma Ali. “BEYOND COLLECTIVE DEFENSE: NATO IN AN ERA OF CRITICAL THEORY AND ASYMMETRIC THREATS”. Uluslararası İlişkiler Ve Diplomasi, vol. 9, no. 1, June 2026, pp. 37-49, doi:10.51763/uid.1926015.
Vancouver
1.Cuma Ali Özbek. BEYOND COLLECTIVE DEFENSE: NATO IN AN ERA OF CRITICAL THEORY AND ASYMMETRIC THREATS. Uluslararası İlişkiler ve Diplomasi. 2026 Jun. 1;9(1):37-49. doi:10.51763/uid.1926015