Repairing a strategic partnership : Congress and US foreign policy with Turkey.

Abstract

The United States and Turkey have shared an important strategic partnership since Turkey was admitted to NATO in 1952. This relationship began to decline following Turkey's denial of Washington's request to position US military forces in southeastern Turkey for the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Because of the strain in this critical relationship the US House Committee on Foreign Affairs began holding regular hearings on US-Turkish relations to understand the future of the partnership. This thesis is a qualitative theory-affirming case study that analyzes these hearings and demonstrates that the House has tried to positively influence foreign policy with Turkey. Congressional influence on foreign policy is traditionally viewed as limited which the hearings support, but this thesis also exposes new ways in which Congress can approach foreign policy objectives.--Abstract.