ABSTRACT
The Clinton administration during its first year in office also remained merely an observer, apparently investing very little energy in Turkey-Israel relations. Nonetheless, US national security officials were fully briefed by the Turks and Israelis over the development of their relations. For good reasons the Americans were watching closely because they wanted to make sure that certain US interests, for example sales of US weapons, would not be adversely affected by the growth of Turkish-Israeli ties. The initial lack of active interest by the US government in the development of Turkey-Israel ties partly reflected the long-established and widely held perception within US national security circles that it was unlikely for Turkey to co-operate with the US in the Middle East unless its own narrow interests were at stake. The general objective was to help fulfil the Turk's expectations for dividends in Washington in return for their relations with Israel.
