ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the post–cold war Turkish-American relationship within the context of the Middle East. The Turkish-American relationship in the post–World War II era dates to Soviet leader Stalin's threats to both Greece and Turkey and the promulgation of the Truman Doctrine in March 1947. The US-Turkish relations suffered from ups and downs because of the rivalry with Greece, another NATO ally. Iraq's August 1990 invasion of Kuwait represented the first challenge of the post–cold war era. From then on, directly or indirectly, Iraq would cast its long shadow over US-Turkish relations. The Iraq issue is best analyzed in two phases: The first phase covers the period from the Gulf War to September 11, 2001; the second phase revolves around the 2003 US invasion of Iraq and the ensuing insurgency. The Turkish government received Washington's approval to enter northern Iraq in the wake of the US 4th Infantry Division to prevent a refugee crisis reminiscent of 1991.
