Relations Between Turkey and America
INTRODUCTION
The purpose of this paper is to look for the relations between Turkey and America from the cold war to current issues I will study on the situations that are developed between America and Turkey starts from the end of the cold war such as “Truman doctrine”, “missile crisis” and “gulf war”.
The policies of United States and the reactions of Turkey’s against that policies will take part in this paper.
COLD WAR
The Soviet Union and the United States, after World War II, began a military competition. The Soviet Union, after the end of World War II, wished to expand the buffer zone between itself and the Western world. In addition to the original Polish territory, the USSR established communism in Rumania, Poland, Hungary, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia and East Germany.
The Kremlin felt that The United States was going to try to spread its capitalist ideals into all of Europe and eventually, the Soviet Union itself. Also, the United States saw the Soviet occupation of Eastern Europe as the beginning of a plan to spread Communism throughout the world. This misconception was the beginning of the Cold War.
The relation ship between America and Turkey has improved from 1947. In this relation the geopolitical position of Turkey plays a big role.
The Truman Doctrine
The first United States anti-Communist action was, in 1947, to begin providing economic aid to countries pressured by outside powers.
When Britain announced that it would withdraw aid to Greece and Turkey, the responsibility was passed on to the United States. America was afraid of spreading of communism because of that President Harry S. Truman asked military and economic aid for Greece and Turkey and established a doctrine named as the Truman Doctrine that would guide U.S. diplomacy for the next forty years.
The United States had also been following events in Turkey. The weak government of Turkey faced Soviet pressure to share control of the strategic Dardanelle Straits.
Also Turkey could prevent the expansion of Soviet Union to the Mediterranean and Middle East and it could be a set for the Soviet Union in a probable war. Also Turkey had an important geopolitical position for USA, Turkey could provide an important geopolitical advantage for USA in a war with Soviet Union. These were the most important reasons for USA to help Turkey...
... middle of paper ...
...all in 21st century they have good relations).Especially after September 11 attacks, declaration war against terrorism by USA, Turkey decided to be with the USA side. Turkey had lots of problems about terrorism (especially PKK).
Turkey had important geopolitical position because of that USA would not want to lost turkey. As long as the economic crisis exists in turkey the Turkish foreign policy will be more depended on USA and IMF. But at the and when we look at the current events in international arena, especially the visit of president of Turkey Ecevit to united states in January 14, 2002 we see that the USA- Turkish relations becoming better.
REFERENCES:
Baskýn Oran, TURK DIÞ POLITIKASI, Iletiþim yayýnlarý,
Istanbul,2001.
Idris Bal, TURK DIÞ POLIIKASI, Alfa basým yayým daðýtým, 2001.
Doç.DR. Oral Sander, TURK-AMERÝKAN ILIÞKILERI, Ankara, 1979.
Dr. A. Haluk Ülman, TURK-AMERIKAN DIPLOMATIK MUNASABETLERI,
Ankara,1961.
Kamuran Gürün, DIS ILISKILER VE TURK POLITIKASI,Ankara,1983
William Hale, TURKISH FOREIGN POLICY, Frank Cass publishers,
britain, 2000.
http://www.Turkey.org
http://www.turk-yunan.gen.tr
http://www.yale.edu
The alliance formed between the US and USSR during the second world war was not strong enough to overcome the decades of uneasiness which existed between the two ideologically polar opposite countries. With their German enemy defeated, the two emerging nuclear superpowers no longer had any common ground on which to base a political, economical, or any other type of relationship. Tensions ran high as the USSR sought to expand Soviet influence throughout Europe while the US and other Western European nations made their opposition to such actions well known. The Eastern countries already under Soviet rule yearned for their independence, while the Western countries were willing to go to great lengths to limit Soviet expansion. "Containment of 'world revolution' became the watchword of American foreign policy throughout the 1950s a...
The United States, led by President Truman, wanted to form democracies in Europe and create a capitalistic society to build economically strong nations that would complement the American economy through trade. In contrast, the Soviet Union, led by Joseph Stalin, wanted to rebuild itself and spread communism through Europe and Asia. In a desperate attempt to rebuild, many countries devastated by war fell under Soviet influence and resorted to communism. The Soviet Union called these nations satellite nations and hoped that they would serve as?buffers? nations, preventing invasion from the West.
During the 1960s through the 1990s the United States was involved in a diplomatic standoff with the Soviet Union. Both nations were preparing nuclear weapons to immediate the other. Throughout the world communism was being spread by the power Soviet forces and the United States created the Truman Doctrine to stop the spread of communism in Turkey and Greece. They continued to combat the spread through wars and “rebellions”. Through the extent of the Cold War, the United States made it their mission to stop the spread of communism. This plan both worked and failed in diplomacy throughout Europe, Latin America, and Asia.
George Washington, the first president of the United States, had written a very important historical speech and document towards the end of his time in office. He had written the Farewell address which focused on helping America understand the importance of preserving unity, acknowledging the rise of political parties forming, strengthening religion and morality, and he stated his position on American foreign policy. He addressed these ideas with strong tone and used incredible amount of dictions that strengthens his tone as well as representing his appeal to ethos to a strong degree. However, today’s society seemed to forget Washington’s position on foreign policy and has created a new form of the policy. But nonetheless as time grew, change occurs. In today’s society Washington’s foreign policy would include many positive and negative manifestations, but it is still a speech and document that will always apply to America.
The conflicting U.S. and Soviet aims in Eastern Europe led to the Cold War. The Berlin airlift, the formation of NATO, and the Truman Doctrine all relate to this policy of containment. At the end of WWII, the United States, Great Britain, and France occupied the western zone of Germany while the Soviet Union occupied the east. In 1948, Britain, France, and the U.S. combined their territories to make one nation. Stalin then discovered a loophole. He closed all highway and rail routes into West Berlin.
Islam has been a dominant force throughout Turkish history. During the Ottoman Empire, Islam ruled every part of the theocratic state, but after the demise of the empire, Turkey's rulers led the country away from political Islam. The modern Turkish state has a strictly secular government, and Islam has been relegated to the personal sphere. Although Turkey has experienced a rise in fundamentalism in the past twenty years, the separation of church and state has remained relatively intact. Even with this increase of fundamentalist Islam, the wide majority of Muslims in Turkey are moderate and tolerant. They have adapted to modern life and value Islam for its moral and spiritual messages. Islam is a guide for right living and ethical conduct rather than a political system. Turkey constantly struggles to balance Islamic life with a secular government. Although the government wants to maintain a strict separation between religion and politics, it cannot ignore the power and influence that Islam has in the lives of the Turkish people.
...e fight against communism placed a great responsibility on United States and its European allies. In order to back their beliefs, they were responsible to help in the fight against communism. Each country believed strongly in their individual views concerning communism and they were willing to do anything to stop the advancement of this particular form of government. This eventually led to the deaths of thousands of U.S. troops in a war that was being fought for controversial reasons.
foreign policy. Before the doctrine the United States held the stance of withdrawal in conflicts not directly involving. The general American public typically did not favor intervening with other countries affairs, but with rise of communism propagated by the Soviet Union, President Truman saw it fit to convince congress, to take action. The Truman Doctrine called for the U.S. to pick up where Britain left off and provide both financial and military support for the nations of Greece and Turkey otherwise they may fail to prosper as free nations, and fall to totalitarian, authoritative regime. Truman claimed towards the end of his speech to congress “Should we fail to aid Greece and Turkey in this fateful hour, the effect will be far reaching to the West as well as to the East.” The Truman Doctrine’s true effect was the persuasion of the public to adopt the new foreign policy of “aiding the victims of totalitarianism” on more than just one occasion but as a habit. The other effect of it was creating an ideological enemy in the eyes of the general public, and “that the chief ideological enemy could rise up and inspire fear in many guises; and that the United States would always have to be prepared to find and defeat new foes” (Chernus). This opened Pandora’s box to U.S. foreign involvement, giving the nation the impression that if we do not take action in these issues otherwise unrelated to the United States there
They had to pay higher taxes than the Muslim people. They had very little political and legal rights. Besides their obstacles, they still lived wealthier than the Muslims. For instance, they tended to be better educated than the Turkish people. Because of this, Turkish neighbors tend to resent their success.
Since the Russian Revolution in 1905, the world housed suspicions regarding communism. These suspicions grew through both World War I, blossoming into a direct confrontation between Communist Russia and Capitalist America. Following the acts of World War II, the Cold War erupted. During the Cold War, United States foreign policy grew gradually aggressive, reflecting the public sentiment.
It is somehow strange for today’s reader to find out that the situation with America’s foreign affairs hasn’t changed much. As some clever people have said, “The History book on the shelf is always repeating itself.” Even after nineteen years, Americans think of themselves as citizens of the strongest nation in the world. Even after the September the 11th. Even after Iraq. And Afghanistan.
Turkey’s involvement in the World War 1 provided cover for extreme elements of the very nationalistic Young Turks regime to carry ...
It started with the Truman Doctrine (1947) that stated the United States would help any country financially and militarily that was interested in keeping the world free for democracy. The Truman Doctrine came about as direct result of communist guerillas in Greece trying to take over the government. American advisers believed that the guerillas were taking orders from the Soviets after they launched a civil war against the government. The United States decided to assist the standing government in Greece because they believed it would have a large impact on Europe and most importantly Turkey that was having its own problems with communism and was strategically located next to large oil reserves of Iran. Congress approved $300 million to aid Greece and $100 million in food and military expenses to aid Turkey.
At the same time, the United States and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics were involved in the Cold War. They were competing against one another, constantly trying to show that their country (and therefore their form of government and ideals) was the better choice. They were competing for influence over the rest of the world. Eventually the USSR and Communism lost, but far more important results came out of this competition instead.
The Eastern Mediterranean island of Cyprus is the homeland of two distinct peoples: the Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots. Their relationship is not one of a majority and minority, but one of equal partnership. The Turkish Cypriots speak Turkish, are Muslims and share the culture of their motherland, Turkey. The Greek Cypriots, on the other hand, speak Greek, are Orthodox Christians and profess the culture of their motherland Greece. After more than 300 years of Turkish rule, the island came under British influence in 1878, but sovereignty was formally transferred by Turkey to Britain in 1923. British colonial administration continued until 1960 when as a joint bi-communal state, the DRepublic of Cyprus was founded under international treaties, signed by Great Britain, Greece and Turkey, and by the leaders of both the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities in their separate capacities. The 1960 arrangements created a political partnership between the two national communities which would enable them to share power and cooperate in a bi-communal state, with the necessary checks and balances and guarantees. Unfortunately, this political partnership and the internationally sanctioned regime lasted only three years.