ABSTRACT
The fragmented structure of the American political system enables multiple points of access into the policy-making process. This creates a window of opportunity for pressure groups and ethnic lobbies that have the essential means and methods of influence to translate their foreign policy positions into official US policies. In providing legitimacy to the lobbying efforts, it is crucial to present persuasively the interest group's agenda as an integral part of the US national interest. The ultimate success of the lobby is determined by its ability to maximize and utilize its resources prudently in order to transform them into political power that will advance its particular agenda. Within this context, there are four major ethnic lobbying groups in the US that have a substantial impact on Turkish-American relations: the Greek, the Armenian, the Jewish, and the Turkish lobbies.
