Turkish-American Relationship In The Post-Cold War Era

The Turkey-US bilateral relationship has representative significanceamong the international relations. Sixteen years after the cold war, whatkind of test and change would the Turkey-US relationship face under thenew situation of Multi-Polarization? This is the focus this thesis is goingto discuss.The thesis is divided into five parts.The chapter one focus on the origin of Turkish-Americanrelationship. During the Cold War the relatively stable strategiccooperation relationship between Turkey and the United States was basedon the Turkish important strategic position, and Turkish safetypredicament also made it stand with the United States. They workedtogether in preventing permeation of Soviet communism, at the same time,developed broad cooperation in the area of politics, military, economyand etc. However, Greek controversial issue always became a Gordianknot between the two states.The chapter two discusses some changes of Turkish-Americanrelationship after the cold war. At the end of 1980s and the beginning of1990s, the world situation changed greatly with the disintegration ofSoviet Union the dual polar pattern broke up, and the United Statesbecame the sole super power in the world. The two polar patterns brokeup, the Soviet Union disintegrated, and the United States had become theglobal only superpower. Therefore, different contradictions previouslyconcealed under dual polar patterns surfaced. A case in point was Gulf War, which established the U.S leading position in the Middle East.Through this, a safe system led by the U.S has been established, Turkeyhas become an important link of it. During the post cold war period,Turkey permitted the U.S to use military base, moreover, Turkeyreceived political,military and economical aids from U.S. By this way,they has formed a strategic alliance relationship, especially theircorporations are very important for attacking the terrorism. However,Kurdish problem and behaviors of Islamic fundamentalism movement dodamage this kind of relations. Their relation has gone through the facingin 9.11 event in 2001 and the Iraq war in 2003.The chapter three discussed the elements that influenced the relationsbetween the two powers .Kurdish problem and behaviors of Islamicfundamentalism movement do damage this kind of relationsThe chapter four analysed Turkey has chosen to form an ally withAmerican whose religion and culture is completely different from its,which is the appliance of theory of practical diplomacy, from the point ofinternational relation theory, it also reflects the interdependence ininternational relations. The difference in religion and culture willinevitably cause the civilization conflict, but from the point of theexchange of civilization, it is essential way of learning fromunderstanding and communicating with each other which will at lastbring about the fusion of civilizations. In the long run, Turkey-Americanrelations can go on in the same way.After a brief conclusion, the relationship between Turkey andAmerican after Cold War is being discussed.