Turkey and the U.S. Alliances, Relations and Defense Cooperation

Although Turkey still depends on the United States and other NATO allies for political and strategic support, growing economic diversification and military self-reliance allows Turkey to exercise greater leverage with the West. These trends have helped fuel continuing Turkish political transformation led in the past decade by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the Justice and Development Party (AKP), which has Islamist roots. Future domestic political developments may determine how Turkey reconciles respect for democratic views that favour Turkish nationalism and traditional Sunni Muslim values with protection of individual freedoms, minority rights, rule of law, and the principle of secular governance. This book examines U.S. relations with Turkey, with a focus on domestic and foreign policy issues; the decline in Israel-Turkey relations; and ongoing change in the Middle East region.