Troubled Partnership. U.S.-Turkish Relations in an Era of Global Geopolitical Change
Abstract
A strong security partnership with Turkey has been an important element of U.S. policy in the Mediterranean and the Middle East since the early 1950s. It is even more important today. Turkey stands at the nexus of four areas that have become increasingly critical to U.S. security since the end of the Cold War: the Balkans, the Middle East, the Caucasus/Central Asia, and the Persian Gulf region. In all four areas, Turkey's cooperation is vital for achieving U.S. policy goals. However, in the last few years-and especially since 2003- U.S.-Turkish relations have seriously deteriorated. The origins of many of the strains can be traced back to the first Gulf War. However, the strains were significantly exacerbated by the fallout from the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq, which resulted in a serious deterioration in Turkey's security environment. As a consequence of the invasion, sectarian violence in Iraq increased, and the Iraqi Kurds- drive for autonomy and eventual independence gained greater momentum. (See pp. 11-20.) Turkish officials fear that the creation of a Kurdish state on Turkey's southern border could intensify separatist pressures in Turkey and pose a threat to its territorial integrity. These fears have been exacerbated by the resumption of an insurgency by the Kurdistan Workers- Party (PKK), which has stepped up cross-border terrorist attacks against Turkish territory from sanctuaries in northern Iraq. These terrorist attacks are Turkey's number-one security concern. (See pp. 25-29.)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 2010
- Accession Number
- ADA514549
Entities
People
- F. Stephen Larrabee
Organizations
- RAND Corporation