Turkey was meant to be America’s secret weapon in the war against terrorism--a secular, democratic, Muslim state. But in the buildup to war against Iraq, Turkey instead proved to be our Achilles heel. The Turkish Parliament barred coalition land forces access to northern Iraq at the last minute, throwing U.S. war plans into confusion. Relations between America and Turkey--allies throughout the Cold War and since--swiftly degenerated into angry bickering and mutual recrimination.
What went wrong? Was the Iraq contretemps an aberration in U.S.-Turkish relations, or is it indicative of looming, future instabilities? Will Turkey prove the Islamic world’s bridge to the West or its Trojan horse? Can America’s special relationship with Turkey be saved?
