Fault Lines and Front Lines: Turkey's Role in a Fractured Region

Col. Christopher Welch

U.S. Air Force (retired)

Friday, June 27, 2025

Luncheon Lecture

Overview

Drawing on his experience as the U.S. Air Attaché and Chief of Attaché Operations in Ankara, Turkey, Colonel Welch will explore key factors shaping Turkey’s international outlook – from nationalism and energy insecurity to the pursuit of flexibility and influence in a volatile region. In a slide-illustrated presentation he will explore how these forces play out in areas like Syria, U.S.-Russia relations, Turkey’s growing defense sector, and its role in regional diplomacy, offering insight into what drives Turkish behavior, especially when it seems at odds with Western expectations.

Chris Welch is a retired U.S. Air Force colonel, special operations pilot and former Chief of Attaché Operations and Air Attaché in Ankara. In that role, he led the U.S. military attaché team coordinating on NATO issues, bilateral defense relations, and regional security during a pivotal period in U.S.-Turkey relations. A command pilot with 2,300+ flight hours, he previously served as Chief of Strategy at the Combined Air Operations Center, directing air operations across U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), particularly in the counter-ISIS campaign in Iraq and Syria.

As an Olmsted Scholar in Istanbul, Chris Welch studied Turkish politics and history at Bogazici University. He holds master’s degrees in public policy and national security from Harvard’s Kennedy School and the National War College. He now lives in Albuqurque, New Mexico, where he continues to support national security efforts and serves as a subject matter expert on Turkey.