Contemporary Turkey: Avoiding the Mistakes of Post-WWII Vietnam
Abstract
Critics point to Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's ties to a hard-line Justice and Development (AKP) Islamic Party; his domestic policies that challenge the historical safeguards for a secular government, including support for increased Islamic expression and stronger civilian control over the military; and his renewed relationships with old enemies, including Iran and Syria, as indicators that Turkey is turning from a pro-West and U.S. alliance towards a Middle East Islamic alliance. This Strategy Research Project argues that Turkey's contemporary geostrategic environment is analogous to that of post-WWII Vietnam, when U.S. leaders misinterpreted Ho Chi Minh's ties to communism and failed to recognize his underlying motivations for a unified free Vietnam. Such recognition could have led to a U.S. alliance with Ho instead of a protracted war. U.S. leaders should accurately assess Turkey's motivations and new policies to avoid those same policy mistakes in U.S.-Turkish relations, where the stakes are equally high. To do so, U.S. leaders must first understand how Turkey's geostrategic position between Europe, Russia, the Middle East, and Turkey's Ottoman Empire history have uniquely shaped Turkey's secular government and Cold War and post-Cold War posture. Five key initiatives could strengthen the relationship between the United States and Turkey, and send a clear signal that Turkey is a strong and vital Western stronghold in a critical region. The United States should actively support Turkey's integration into the European Union, increase trade with Turkey, facilitate repair of the Israel-Turkish relationship, facilitate alternative energy technology transfer in Turkey, and encourage tourism to Turkey.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 06, 2011
- Accession Number
- ADA560243
Entities
People
- A. A. Ratcliff
Organizations
- United States Army War College