{"title":"Reckoning with ‘new’ Turkey: Modes of US reaction to unwanted policy shifts in the Middle East","authors":"Michalis Kontos, Zenonas Tziarras","doi":"10.1111/dome.12308","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p>This article discusses the changing relations between the United States and Turkey in light of Turkey's contemporary foreign policy that often challenges American interests. More specifically, it adopts a comparative approach to examine the variables that determine the course of US reaction when unwanted policy shifts take place in the Middle East. To this end, apart from Turkey, the article examines two more cases: US relations with Egypt in the 1950s, and with Iran right before, during and after the 1979 revolution. The comparative analysis reveals that the case of contemporary Turkey has been more similar to the historical case of Egypt, which explains why Washington has been adopting (and is more likely to continue doing so) a “wait-and-see” approach vis-à-vis Ankara. However, domestic changes in Turkey, though not as abrupt and radical as in Iran, remain significant and may have a deeper impact on US–Turkish relations in the future.</p>","PeriodicalId":43254,"journal":{"name":"Digest of Middle East Studies","volume":"32 4","pages":"262-280"},"PeriodicalIF":0.6000,"publicationDate":"2023-10-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Digest of Middle East Studies","FirstCategoryId":"1085","ListUrlMain":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/dome.12308","RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":null,"ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"AREA STUDIES","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
This article discusses the changing relations between the United States and Turkey in light of Turkey's contemporary foreign policy that often challenges American interests. More specifically, it adopts a comparative approach to examine the variables that determine the course of US reaction when unwanted policy shifts take place in the Middle East. To this end, apart from Turkey, the article examines two more cases: US relations with Egypt in the 1950s, and with Iran right before, during and after the 1979 revolution. The comparative analysis reveals that the case of contemporary Turkey has been more similar to the historical case of Egypt, which explains why Washington has been adopting (and is more likely to continue doing so) a “wait-and-see” approach vis-à-vis Ankara. However, domestic changes in Turkey, though not as abrupt and radical as in Iran, remain significant and may have a deeper impact on US–Turkish relations in the future.
期刊介绍:
DOMES (Digest of Middle East Studies) is a biennial refereed journal devoted to articles and reviews of topics concerning the Middle East. This encompasses Islam, the Arab countries, Israel, and those countries traditionally referred to as the Near East, including Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Turkey. DOMES is intended for individuals, libraries, research centers, corporations and government offices with interests in the Middle East. The roster of authors and reviewers represents specialists from different religious, political, and subject backgrounds. The scope of materials published or reviewed covers all subjects originally published in English, European, or non-European languages, ranging from books and journals to databases, films, and other media. DOMES includes informational, creative, and critical literary efforts.