ABSTRACT
This chapter begins by examining the new security environment of the West and Turkey's adaptation to it. It also examines both the evolution of International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) and Turkey's role in it. In the new security conditions of the post-Cold War era, Turkey has moved from the status of a flank country into a frontline one. ISAF was not a UN force, but rather a coalition of the willing that had been deployed under the authority of the UN Security Council. It seems that the future success or failure of the ISAF mission in Afghanistan will determine the future orientation of US and North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) strategies. Therefore, at this stage, the present and future contribution of NATO and non-NATO countries appears to be very important. Turkey today, as in the past, continues to give her support to the NATO-led mission. The chapter evaluates the Turkey's possible contribution to the future of the West's peace-keeping operations.
