Physically bridging Europe and Asia and being above Africa, Turkey is a secular country that has historically pursued a Western-oriented foreign policy.[1] To this end, Turkey uses its global diplomatic network—the third most extensive—of 252 diplomatic and consular missions.[2][3][4]
Since the Cold War, Turkey's most important ally has been the United States, which shared Turkey's interest in containing Soviet expansion.[5][6] In support of the United States, Turkey contributed personnel to the UN forces in the Korean War (1950–1953), joined NATO in 1952, recognized Israel in 1949 and has cooperated closely with it.[7]
^ abRobins, Philip. Turkey and the Middle East. London: Royal Institute of International Affairs and New York: Council on Foreign Relations Press, 1991.
^Migdalovitz, Carol. "Turkey: Ally in a Troubled Region." Library of Congress, Congressional Research Service, 93-835F. Washington: 14 September 1993.
^Karasapan, Omer. "Turkey and US Strategy in the Age of Glasnost," Middle East Report, No. 160, September–October 1989, pp. 4–10, 22.
^Aybet, Gülnur. Turkey's Foreign Policy and Its Implications for the West: A Turkish Perspective. London: Royal United Services Institute for Defence Studies, 1994.
^Fuller, Graham E., Ian O. Lesser, Paul B. Henze, and J.F. Brown. Turkey's New Geopolitics: From the Balkans to Western China. Boulder, Colorado: Westview Press, 1993.
^United States. Department of Defense. Terrorist Group Profiles. Washington: GPO, 1988.
^United States. Department of State. Patterns of Global Terrorism, 1992. Washington: 1993.
^United States. Department of State. Patterns of Global Terrorism 1993. Washington: 1994.