The Hillary Clinton Impact on Turkish-American Relations

By Tarık Oğuzlu

SETA Policy Brief, No. 30, January 2009

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There is a new environment that Washington and Ankara may base their relations on dynamic, common interests rather than reified common values and norms. Washington should interpret Turkey’s growing regional profile in the Greater Middle East as being in its interests, rather than as a sign of Turkey’s estrangement from the West or an aspiration to resurrect the Ottoman Empire. Ankara should try to find solutions to its perennial security problems through democracy and pluralism and respond to US policies on the Armenian issue and Turkey’s democratization process in a more rational, rather than psychological or emotional manner. The appointment of Clinton as the new US Secretary of State will produce more positive than negative outcomes on Turkish-American relations during Obama presidency.