Turkey and the West: From Neutrality to Commitment

Considers the formulation of Turkish foreign policy in the post-Atatürk period of 1938 to 1958 and discusses Turkey’s uneasy shift from neutrality to become a member of the Western Alliance.

Turkey’s decision to ally itself with the Western grouping of states shaped its apprehension of regional and world politics in decades to come. Turkey’s choice, however, was neither adequately perceived nor fully appreciated in the volatile atmosphere of 1950s and onwards and went largely unnoticed on the part of Western democracies.

A reinterpretation of Turkey's recent history throws considerable light on the complexities surrounding this strategically important country.