ABSTRACT
Samuel Huntington describes Turkey as a 'torn' state, torn as he sees it between Islam and the 'West'. While Turkey is to some extent a bystander to these multilateral disagreements, it plays a central role with respect to European Union (EU) access to North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) assets. Most significantly for transatlantic relations, Turkey is interpreting its obligations under the Mine Ban Treaty (MBT) as prohibiting American stockpiling or transit of landmines – an interpretation shared by some but not all states parties. While Turkey does not currently contribute forces to the missions in Iraq, it is deeply affected by the war there, in particular by its relationship with the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), which has exercized substantial autonomy in Northern Iraq since 1991. As long as transatlantic differences continue, Turkish policy will take into account not only its direct interests but also the impact of implicitly 'taking sides'.
