American-Turkish relations in the 1990s: continuities and changes in the post-cold war era

Official URL: http://risc01.sabanciuniv.edu/record=b1606899 (Table of Contents)

Throughout the Cold War, the bilateral ties between the US and Turkey, epitomized by their cooperation in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), provided both states with the necessary means to secure their sovereignty, freedom, and development to the greatest degree possible. However, the end of the bipolar confrontation between the US and the Soviet Union provided for the potential split or dramatic change in bilateral ties. This thesis focuses on both the continuities and changes that shaped USTurkey relations in the first decade of the post-Cold War era. First, despite the fall of the Soviet Union—the initial cause of their connection via existential fear—the US and Turkey sought to maintain tactical ties. Furthermore, American goals and desires still often heavily affected Turkey's external and internal policies. Second, the sometimes turbulent and distrustful history between these two states often colored Turkish responses to American policies both towards Turkey and to the region, frequently in an apprehensive manner. A liberal realist theoretical framework was used in the inquiry. To investigate these hypotheses, I utilized a review of the relevant, existing literature, which were supplemented by primary research including personal interviews with former Turkish and American government officials. The results substantiated the first hypothesis, but did not provide enough evidence to either convincingly confirm or refute the second hypothesis. The results of this investigation not only adds depth to the existing understanding of the US-Turkish bilateral relationship, but also provide a theoretical framework to examine other alliances in the post-Cold War era.