ALLIANCE THEORY: UNDERSTANDING TURKEY'S CHANGING ALLIANCE BEHAVIOR WITHIN NATO

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dc.contributor.advisorGingeras, Ryan
dc.contributor.authorRodriguez, Peter Sr.
dc.contributor.departmentNational Security Affairs (NSA)
dc.contributor.secondreaderYost, David S.
dc.date.accessioned2020-08-21T00:24:52Z
dc.date.available2020-08-21T00:24:52Z
dc.date.issued2020-06
dc.description.abstractThe current multipolar international system is fraught with uncertainty for states seeking security assurances. Alliances are tools of statecraft used to enhance the security of their members. Over the past seventy years, NATO has successfully achieved its raison d’être—collective defense. Yet, Turkey, a NATO ally since 1952, has increasingly diverged from its traditional alliance behavior. This has called into question Turkey’s future role in NATO. Why would Ankara forge an informal alliance with Moscow and purchase Russia’s S-400, knowing that it would jeopardize NATO’s security and undermine the Alliance’s cohesion? This thesis merges two complementary alliance theories with Turkish identity politics to explore the factors driving Turkey’s perplexing behavior. Turkey’s shifting alliance behavior is the result of increasing distrust between Turkey and the Alliance, structural changes to the international system, differing threat perceptions, and the Justice and Development Party's Ottoman Islamist ideology. These factors collided during the Syrian War as Turkey’s and the rest of the Alliance’s security interests misaligned. Consequently, NATO’s internal threat level surpassed its shared external threat level—severely eroding the Alliance’s cohesion and compelling Turkey to change its alliance behavior. Despite Ankara’s worrisome behavior, Turkey remains a vital NATO ally. Thus, the Alliance should seek to mend the rift, lest Turkey continue its divergent course.en_US
dc.description.distributionstatementApproved for public release. distribution is unlimiteden_US
dc.description.serviceMajor, United States Marine Corpsen_US
dc.identifier.thesisid32765
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10945/65433
dc.publisherMonterey, CA; Naval Postgraduate Schoolen_US
dc.rightsThis publication is a work of the U.S. Government as defined in Title 17, United States Code, Section 101. Copyright protection is not available for this work in the United States.en_US
dc.subject.authorNATOen_US
dc.subject.authorTurkeyen_US
dc.subject.authorallianceen_US
dc.subject.authoralliance theoryen_US
dc.subject.authoralliance behavioren_US
dc.subject.authorinternational relationsen_US
dc.subject.authornationalismen_US
dc.subject.authorS-400en_US
dc.subject.authorsecurityen_US
dc.subject.authordefenseen_US
dc.subject.authorErdoganen_US
dc.subject.authorUnited Statesen_US
dc.subject.authorstrategyen_US
dc.subject.authorforeign policyen_US
dc.subject.authorforeign affairsen_US
dc.subject.authorSyriaen_US
dc.subject.authorRussiaen_US
dc.subject.authorMiddle Easten_US
dc.titleALLIANCE THEORY: UNDERSTANDING TURKEY'S CHANGING ALLIANCE BEHAVIOR WITHIN NATOen_US
dc.typeThesisen_US
dspace.entity.typePublication
etd.thesisdegree.disciplineSecurity Studies (Europe and Eurasia)en_US
etd.thesisdegree.grantorNaval Postgraduate Schoolen_US
etd.thesisdegree.levelMastersen_US
etd.thesisdegree.nameMaster of Arts in Security Studies (Europe and Eurasia)en_US
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