NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL MONTEREY, CALIFORNIA THESIS TURKISH - AMERICAN RELATIONS POST 9/11 by Serdar Kara December 2007 Thesis Advisor: James A. Russell Second Reader: Timothy J. Doorey Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK REPORT DOCUMENTATION PAGE Form Approved OMB No. 0704-0188 Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 1 hour per response, including the time for reviewing instruction, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to Washington headquarters Services, Directorate for Information Operations and Reports, 1215 Jefferson Davis Highway, Suite 1204, Arlington, VA 22202-4302, and to the Office of Management and Budget, Paperwork Reduction Project (0704-0188) Washington DC 20503. 1. AGENCY USE ONLY (Leave blank) 2. REPORT DATE 3. REPORT TYPE AND DATES COVERED December 2007 Master’s Thesis 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE Turkish - American Relations Post 9/11 5. FUNDING NUMBERS 6. AUTHOR(S) Serdar Kara 7. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES) 8. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION Naval Postgraduate School REPORT NUMBER Monterey, CA 93943-5000 9. SPONSORING /MONITORING AGENCY NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES) 10. SPONSORING/MONITORING The views expressed in this thesis are those of the author and do not AGENCY REPORT NUMBER reflect the official policy or position of Turkey. 11. SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES The views expressed in this thesis are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Department of Defense or the U.S. Government. 12a. DISTRIBUTION / AVAILABILITY STATEMENT 12b. DISTRIBUTION CODE Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited 13. ABSTRACT (maximum 200 words) After the September 11 attacks, the U.S. initiated the Global War on Terror. Prosecution of this war has become a defining objective of the Bush era in American foreign policy. Following the invasion of Afghanistan, the United States invaded Iraq. As part of the invasion plan, the United States requested permission to deploy troops in Turkey to invade Iraq over its northern frontiers. The subsequent rejection of this request by the Turkish Parliament destabilized the relationship between the United States and Turkey. These events have placed U.S.-Turkish relations on an uncertain footing. This thesis seeks to explore the path towards the crisis in these relations. It argues that that the parameters of the bilateral relations have changed significantly since the September 11 attacks. The thesis provides a chronological analysis of history of Turkish-American relations focusing on the recent events. Last, the thesis will offer recommendations on how U.S.-Turkish relations can be restored, drawing upon the lessons of the past between these two countries. 14. SUBJECT TERMS Turkish-American Relations, September 11, U.S., Turkey, Iraqi 15. NUMBER OF Invasion, Northern Front, PKK, PAGES 69 16. PRICE CODE 17. SECURITY 18. SECURITY 19. SECURITY 20. LIMITATION OF CLASSIFICATION OF CLASSIFICATION OF THIS CLASSIFICATION OF ABSTRACT REPORT PAGE ABSTRACT Unclassified Unclassified Unclassified UU Standard Form 298 (Rev. 8-98) Prescribed by ANSI Std. Z39.18 i THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK ii Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited TURKISH - AMERICAN RELATIONS POST 9/11 Serdar Kara First Lieutenant, Turkish Air Force B.S., Turkish Air Force Academy, 2002 Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF ARTS IN SECURITY STUDIES from the NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL December 2007 Author: Serdar Kara Approved by: James A. Russell Thesis Advisor Timothy J. Doorey Second Reader Douglas Porch Chairman, Department of National Security Affairs ii i THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK iv ABSTRACT After the September 11 attacks, the U.S. initiated the Global War on Terror. Prosecution of this war has become a defining objective of the Bush era in American foreign policy. Following the invasion of Afghanistan, the United States invaded Iraq. As part of the invasion plan, the United States requested permission to deploy troops in Turkey to invade Iraq over its northern frontiers. The subsequent rejection of this request by the Turkish Parliament destabilized the relationship between the United States and Turkey. These events have placed U.S.-Turkish relations on an uncertain footing. This thesis seeks to explore the path towards the crisis in these relations. It argues that that the parameters of the bilateral relations have changed significantly since the September 11 attacks. The thesis provides a chronological analysis of history of Turkish-American relations focusing on the recent events. Last, the thesis will offer recommendations on how U.S.-Turkish relations can be restored, drawing upon the lessons of the past between these two countries. v THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK v i TABLE OF CONTENTS I. THESIS INTRODUCTION...............................................................................1 II. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF TURKISH-AMERICAN RELATIONS......7 A. PRE- COLD WAR................................................................................7 B. COLD WAR..........................................................................................9 C. POST- COLD WAR............................................................................18 III. RELATIONS IN THE AFTERMATH OF 9/11................................................25 IV. THE INVASION OF IRAQ.............................................................................29 A. THE U.S. NORTHERN FRONT REQUEST .......................................29 B. THE U.S. INVASION OF IRAQ..........................................................35 C. THE AFTERMATH OF THE INVASION.............................................38 V. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS...............................................41 A. CONCLUSION...................................................................................41 1. PKK/KONGRA-GEL................................................................42 2. Northern Iraq..........................................................................44 B. RECOMMENDATIONS......................................................................47 1. Alliance...................................................................................48 2. Balkans, Caucasus, and Central Asia..................................50 3. Strategic Partnership ............................................................51 LIST OF REFERENCES..........................................................................................53 INITIAL DISTRIBUTION LIST.................................................................................57 v ii THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK vi ii