Turkey: Post Operation Iraqi Freedom Turkish-American Relations
The 2002-2003 academic year, during which I was an EAP participant, was eventful. I had the honor of taking courses on Turkish foreign policy and domestic politics from esteemed faculty and a former ambassador. I gained new perspectives on Middle Eastern politics and was able to better comprehend the strategically important relationship between Turkey and the U.S. I made life-long friends, became fluent in Turkish, and had the immeasurable opportunity to visit all corners of this intriguing country. It truly is a bridge between east and west; it cannot be defined as just a part of the Middle East for it reflects values and ideals from Europe, Asia, and the Middle East region. As a geo-politically strategic nation that connects East with West, Turkey often must serve as an intermediary in times of crisis. As a predominantly Muslim nation with a secular, democratic government, it doesn’t quite fit the norms of its European or its Arab neighbors’ societies. Thus, it often has had to weigh the costs and benefits of intervening in events occurring in the surrounding region. In the case of the U.S. intervention in Iraq, newly-elected Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s task of deciding whether Turkey would allow U.S. troops to use its territory as a northern front from which to invade Iraq was exceptionally difficult. When President Bush announced he was giving Saddam Hussein 48 hours to leave Iraq or face the consequences, it was all the talk in my classes in Turkey. It was extremely interesting to compare opinions about American policies with my Turkish classmates before and after the Bush administration declared it would intervene in Iraq. Debates ensued in my classes such as Turkish Foreign Policy and War, Peace, and Security regarding the administration’s motivations for entering Iraq. An overwhelming majority of my Turkish classmates felt that the actual reason was to attain control of Iraq’s extensive oil resources. My eyes were opened to a second perspective on Middle Eastern affairs and the role Turkish-American relations play in helping to mediate conflicts in the region. As an American of Turkish heritage I found myself in an awkward position. I felt the need to defend my country and the government’s decision even though I was unsure of the credibility of the incentives for war. I finished my experience in Turkey with an internship at the Turkish Foreign Policy Institute in Ankara. I had the amazing opportunity to help formulate ideas for future Turkish foreign policy with former ambassadors and esteemed scholars. During my two-month internship I did research for the Institute’s quarterly Foreign Policy/Dis Politika Journal. I gained much-needed insight into the evolution of Turkish-American relations over the past half a century, and learned how the Turks had endured quite a few crises and become stronger with each test. My experiences at Bilkent University and at the Turkish Foreign Policy Institute during the Iraq War influenced me to apply to write an honors thesis on Turkish-American relations over the past 50 years, since the time Turkey sent troops to fight alongside U.S. soldiers in the Korean War. As a result of my experience on EAP in Turkey my eyes were opened to a second perspective on Middle Eastern affairs and the role Turkish-American relations play in helping to mediate conflicts in the region. My knowledge of Turkish domestic politics and international policies is crucial in the writing of my thesis. I hope to eventually become an analyst of the Middle East and someday work towards further improving ties between Turkey and the U.S., for it is vital that these two interdependent powers use their influence to help bring stability back to this volatile region. —Beril Unver, UC Irvine |
|
|
