Вестник Московского Университета. Серия XXV: Международные отношения и мировая политика (Nov 2020)
The U.S.-Turkey ‘Model Partnership’: Testing the Limits (2009–2010)
Abstract
The United States and Turkey have been bound by strong ties of strategic partnership for decades since the dawn of the Cold War. However, the relationship between two NATO allies have become quite strained over the recent years. The root causes of the current contradictions between Ankara and Washington manifested themselves clearly at the beginning of the Obama presidency. This paper examines the reasons behind and the nature of the difficulties that the U.S. and Turkey would confront in 2009–2010 while trying to implement the concept of ‘model partnership’ introduced by the Democratic administration. In particular, it assesses the extent to which the transformation of the Turkish foreign policy strategy modified the logic of its interaction with Washington and reinforced Ankara’s desire to have its national interests recognized and respected by the United States. The differences between the U.S. and Turkish positions are illustrated with the examples of their contradictions about interaction with Israel and Iran. The author demonstrates that various methods of persuasion and coercion practiced by the Obama administration were not necessarily effective and their use led to a deterioration of situation on several occasions. The author also provides a detailed overview of the debates on the prospects of the bilateral cooperation and the foreign policy identity of modern Turkey that took place in the U.S. political and academic circles at that time. The paper also determines the main factors behind a rapprochement of two countries following a temporary estrangement. The conclusion is drawn that a further escalation of tensions was prevented mainly because security factor played a predominant role. The U.S.-Turkish military-strategic cooperation within NATO remained — regardless of divergences on several regional issues and political scandals — the cornerstone of the bilateral relationship. The U.S.-Turkish partnership, though not a model one, passed an endurance test only to face even more complex challenges related to a destabilization of a broader region in the wake of the Arab Awakening.
