This chapter examines Turkey’s foreign relations and the role of global and domestic developments in their evolution since 1980. In the bipolar world of the Cold War era, Turkey was part of the West, and its foreign policy focused mostly if not exclusively on security issues. After the end of the Cold War and the transition to a globalizing world order, security issues continued to be important. However, domestic politics, particularly changes in Turkey’s political regime and the decline in democracy, international politics in Turkey’s neighborhood, economics, and other concerns began to play greater roles in shaping foreign policy. This new world presented more opportunities and also more risks for Turkey.

Due to its strategic location, Turkey could not stay out of the rivalry between the United States and the Soviet Union and remain neutral during the Cold War. It did not have sufficient economic, military, and technological resources to protect itself if it chose neutrality.