AEI Debate Prep: What to do with Turkey?
By Michael Rubin
October 24, 2011, 9:26 am
This piece is part of an ongoing series featuring ten hot-button issues all Americans should be thinking about in the lead up to the AEI/Heritage/CNN debate on national security. Today’s blogs are in response to issue #1: U.S. ALLIANCE WITH ISRAEL: PEACE PROCESS, TURKEY’S TURN, SETTLEMENTS, AND JERUSALEM.
Turkey was a key American ally throughout the Cold War. As one of only two NATO countries to share a border with the Soviet Union, Turkey proved pivotal not only to the defense of Europe but also for American interests in Asia. The Turkish army fought alongside U.S. troops in Korea. Americans embraced Turkey not only for its strategic role, but also for its values. The Turkish government was decidedly Western-leaning. Turkey may have been majority Muslim, but most Turks saw their future tied more to the West than the Middle East.
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