Turkey has been a NATO member since 1952, seeking protection from the threat formed by the Soviet Union. Turkey has been involved in different NATO operations and training programs, and houses various military bases and airbases for NATO. They have participated on NATO's side in the Korean War before they had joined NATO, sent troops to Afghanistan, and received NATO support to defend themselves from the threat of potential airstrikes formed by the Syrian Civil War. In the first half of 2022, Turkey stood central in NATO. Due to the threat of Russia, EU members Sweden and Finland wanted to enter NATO. All member states accepted except for Turkey, stating as reason that these states gave asylum to Turkish refugees, deemed to be migrants by the Turkish state. These people were often part of organisations like the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), the (PYD), or the (YPG), and the Turkish state says that these are terrorist organisations.