There are a number of factors that elevate Turkey's status in the international arena and make it an important regional actor. As a longstanding member of the western world, a candidate country to the European Union, a staunch ally of the United States, and a frontline state in the fight against terrorism, Turkey plays a key, yet often overlooked, role in world affairs. Proper understanding of how decisions regarding foreign and security issues are being taken within the state apparatus in Turkey is crucially important, especially when unexpected developments take place. Mustafa and Aysegul Kibaroglu examine the issues that drive Turkish foreign policy decisions in this crucial region.This reference work chronicles the factors which have shaped the mindsets of the makers of Turkey's foreign and security policies from the foundation of the Republic in 1923. The authors provide not only meaninful explanations of past events, but also useful insigts into the current issues at the center of Turkish regional and foreign policies. They offer a concise overview of Turkish foreign policy and assess the position of the nation within the context of the war on terror, globalization, and more. Their narrative is supplemented by biographies of key decision makers, policies, and documents that illustrate the choices that comprise Turkey's past and present.

This book chronicles eight decades of the Republic of Turkey's foreign and security policies along with the people and events at the heart of the decision making process as Turkey rose out of the ashes of the Ottoman empire in 1923 and looks to take seat in the European Union during the modern age.

FOREWORDPREFACEABBREVIATIONSPART ONE: NARRATIVE1.From the Khanates in Central Asia to the Republic in Anatolia2.Foreign Policy of the Young Republic Under Atatrk and nn: The Interwar Period3. Cold World War period and Turkeys Place in the West4. Turkeys foreign and security policies in the post-Cold War: the neighborhood5. Turkeys foreign and security policies in the post-Cold War: the alliances6. Redefinition of Turkeys Relations with its Strategic Partners United States and Israel in the post-9/11 Period7. The state of affairs in Turkeys relations with its NeighborsPART TWO: BIOGRAPHIESPART THREE: APPENDICES & INDEX1. Appendix A: Bibliography2. Appendix B: Annotated Bibliography3. Appendix C: Chronology of Events4. Index