U.S.–Turkey Relations: How to Proceed after Obama



Mehmet Yegin & Hasan Selim Özertem

Synopsis: As mistrust continues to grow, the Turkey–U.S. relationship will be reduced to cooperation on tactical level based on a barter mentality. To avoid this, trust must be rebuilt by reciprocal actions as a starting point and basis for better cooperation and coordination between the parties.
Relations between Turkey and the United States received a jumpstart during the Obama administration’s first term, but the two countries were nevertheless unable to reach their ambitious goals. In Washington circles there seems to be “Turkey fatigue” as many are dealing with the same problems without progress. In Turkey, there is growing discontent with the United States due to its ongoing close cooperation with the PKK-linked PYD, and its delayed embrace of the elected government that survived July’s military coup attempt.
Existing negative perceptions in bilateral terms undermine the basis for possible cooperation in a cooperative manner. Considering the fact that a new resident will be coming to the White House shortly, there is a need to review and revise the course of policies for the relations to gain momentum once again.
Legacy of Obama on bilateral relations
Obama’s first visit abroad as president was to Turkey, and a “model partnership” was formulated to carry the U.S.–Turkey alliance beyond a military and strategic one. Expanding relations to include economic and social spheres...(click for the full text)

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