Turkey and the West: Fault Lines in a Troubled Alliance

Abstract

Turkey: A necessary ally in a troubled region The new U.S. president taking office in January 2017 will face daunting challenges to the international liberal order, ranging from a fragile European Union rocked by Great Britain's exit, to a Cold War-like rivalry with Russia and instability in the Middle East. A long-time member of NATO, Turkey stands at the front lines of many of these challenges, most dramatically in caring for nearly 3 million refugees from neighboring war-torn countries. Yet, it is failing to play a more constructive role in supporting this order, and its leadership is in frequent conflict with its Western allies. As a result, many in the West now question whether Turkey functions as a dependable ally for the United States and other NATO members. Despite these problems, Kemal Kirisci's new book argues that domestic and regional realities are now edging Turkey toward improving its relations with the West. A better understanding of these developments will be critical in devising an updated U.S. strategy toward Turkey and its neighborhood. Western policymakers must keep in mind three on-the-ground realities that might work to their advantage. First, Turkey remains deeply integrated within the transatlantic community, a fact that has imbued it with prestige in the region. But this prestige has been squandered by the recent trajectory of Turkey's foreign policy. To regain it, Turkey must renew close cooperation with the West. The second reality is that chaos in the neighborhood has resulted in the loss of lucrative markets for Turkish exports-which, which means Turkey must turn increasingly to Western markets. Third, Turkish national security is threatened by developments in Syria and the state of affairs with Russia, enhancing the value of Turkey's “troubled alliance” with the West. However, the big question is whether rising authoritarianism in Turkey can be halted and its democracy restored so that the faultlines can be closed and a constructive re-engagement between the Turkey and the West can take place.