Developing a Strategic Partnership with Turkey
Abstract
The dissolution of the Soviet Union brought with it the end of Turkey's traditional security role of defender of NATO's southern flank. To redefine the Turkish-U.S. security relationship, President Bill Clinton announced in 1999 that the United States and Turkey had a "strategic partnership." The hollowness of that pronouncement became apparent on 1 March 2003 when the Turkish Parliament decided to deny the U.S. military access to Iraq from Turkish territory. That decision has thrown into question the nature as well as the importance of the U.S.-Turkish strategic partnership. This paper explains the post-Cold War internal and regional changes affecting Turkey's current and future security decision making. The paper also argues that Turkey will remain central to U.S. security goals in the Middle East. This is primarily due to the NATO initiatives Turkey has adopted and Ankara's economic and security influence in its region. Finally, the paper recommends that an enduring strategic partnership with Turkey be built upon effectively addressing Turkey's number one security concern: the Kurdish Workers Party (PKK) safe areas in northern Iraq.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 07, 2006
- Accession Number
- ADA449440
Entities
People
- Eric Von Tersch
Organizations
- United States Army War College