Turkey joined NATO (February 1952)

NATO was first formed in April 1949 with 12 original members. The main purpose for establishing NATO was to counter the threat of USSR / Communist expansion after World War II. Turkey joined NATO in February 1952. The decision to allow Greece and Turkey into alliance stemmed largely from Cold War strategies against the Soviet Union. Indeed, Turkey's strategic location boosted NATO's leverage against the Soviet Union after the Second World War.