Despite the happy talk, the Ankara NATO summit failed to restore unity within the alliance and refocus NATO on its core mission of deterrence. Still, there is one country that can confidently declare success: Turkey.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government had been gearing up for this summit, fully aware of the opportunities it presented. From sanctions relief to renewed access to the F-35 fighter jet program, Erdogan played the long game ahead of the meeting. He curried favor with Trump while carefully balancing Turkey’s position across the region.