ABSTRACT
On March 12, 1947, President Harry Truman addressed a joint session of Congress to recommend assistance to Greece and Turkey under what became known as the Truman Doctrine. Beginning with the Truman Doctrine and the immediate post-World War II era, Turkey has held a key position in the US foreign policy perspective, with its strategic location giving it particular importance. The changing patterns of congressional involvement in foreign policy can be traced through US policies toward Turkey. The Truman Doctrine has been seen by some critics as having made the Cold War inevitable. Congressional leaders are nomally reluctant to take issue with executive decisions on "crisis" matters. The executive can make effective use or appeals to bipartisanship in cases of international crisis or potential crisis. The Truman Administration went to great lengths to give the appearance of congressional involvement, but to leave Congress little option to reject or redirect the Greek-Turkish policy.
