Turkey’s regional ambitions, a distrust of the United States, and the growing authoritarianism of Turkey’s leaders are complicating bilateral relations and making Ankara more willing to challenge US regional goals, Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats wrote in a worldwide threat assessment to the Senate Intelligence Committee.

"Turkey will continue to view as existential threats the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), including its People’s Protection Units (YPG) militia in Syria, and the movement led by Fethullah Gulen (USPER), a former AKP ally who Turkish leaders claim is responsible for the failed coup of 2016."