EVALUATION OF CRISIS BETWEEN TURKEY AND THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA IN TERMS OF ALLIANCE RELATIONS: CONSIDERATIONS ON THE FUTURE RELATIONS

Abstract

Turkish and American relations started in the 18th. Century for maritime trade between Mediterranean ports under the control of Ottoman at that time. The two countries have not fought in history. The United States of America (USA) did not declare war against the Ottoman State in the World War I, but participated as an observer in the negotiations of the Lausanne Peace Treaty. It was not easy to establish diplomatic relations immediately after the World War I between the two countries. Because the people’s conception in Turkey from the time of Ottoman Empire for what they did for missionary propaganda of the American school in Turkey and the American initiative to the establishment of an independent Kurdish and Armenian state in the East of Turkey. Additionally, the activities against the Turks by minorities such as Greeks, Armenian, Jewish and others who has migrated to the USA from Ottoman country negatively affected the relations. The first diplomatic relations between the US and Turkey was established on February 11, 1927. Relationships in the period up to the World War II continued without significant controversy. In the new world order established after the war, Turkey; took its place in the western bloc where the United States headed and became a political and military partner with the USA in a sense as a member of North Atlantic Organization (NATO) by entering into alliance on February 18, 1952. After this date, relations have been maintained mainly in the fields of economic, military operations, defense industry, terrorism, energy security, education and the others, with the momentum provided by the cooperation opportunities within NATO. However, until today, Turkey and the US bilateral relations characterized as friendship, alliance and even strategic partnership had been interrupted with many times by problems and even substantial disagreements. These problems have adversely affected national interests of both countries from time to time and, in reaction, caused the relations of both countries to decline or slow down. In this study, the causes and consequences of some crises and strife between the two countries which may affect the national interests will be revised and evaluated, then, the inferences and the predictions for the future will be made.