Turkish-American Association: The First Twenty Years of an Ankara Institution

Abstract

Political, military, economic and cultural relations between Turkey and the United States developed rapidly during the start of Cold War, which had a global impact in the post-World War II era. For both countries, cross-cultural and societal knowledge became important parts of these relations. The Turkish-American Association was established in Ankara in 1951 against this backdrop to further develop the friendship and cultural relations between Turkey and the United States. By focusing on the first twenty years of the Association, this article investigates the Association’s contribution to the development of mutual understanding within the context of international relations. It also emphasizes the Association’s permanent impact on the social and cultural life of the capital through the various activities that were organized by the Association, which are documented in the institution’s archive.

Keywords

• cold war
• turkish-american association
• turkish-american relations
• ankara