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The author reflects on the shift of Turkey from supporter of democracy and a U.S. ally to potential political chaos after he won in a referendum that will extend his term. He notes that Prime Minister Recep Erdogan only won in two elections which are marred by fraud despite his strong image. He adds that history shows how polarization among its citizens led to strikes, gangs, and assassinations. The country also faces renewed terrorism aside from political chaos.

The author offers opinions on Turkey. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is strongly criticized for what are said to be repressive policies towards civil rights in Turkey. Erdogan is even more strongly criticized for what is claimed to be a foreign policy dominated by hostility to the U.S. and Israel and which supports Islamic extremism in the Middle East.

The article discusses the Islamic Revolution experienced by Turkey and its effect on Turkey's relations with non-Arab nations. The election of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the Justice and Reconciliation Party (AKP) in 2002 and the changes that have occurred within the state are explored, including within the educational, judiciary, and police systems. The relationship between Erdogan and the Turkish press is examined and comparisons are drawn between Turkish identity and the national identities promoted by Iran, Syria, and Hamas. Anti-Americanism and the future of relations between the U.S. and Turkey are also discussed.

The Grand National Assembly's failure to allow American troops to use Turkish territory to conduct military operations on Iraq was a watershed event in Turkish-American relations. It did not occur in isolation, though, but rather was the result of diplomatic and political errors and miscalculations on both sides. Nor can the March 1 vote - or the July 4 incident - fully explain subsequent US-Turkish tension. Irritants in bilateral relations have included misguided US diplomacy in the run-up to the war and an American failure to properly address PKK terrorism, as well as counterproductive Turkish strategies regarding Iraqi Turkmen and Kurds. Both Washington and Ankara have failed to engage productively about the future of Kirkuk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Grand National Assembly's failure to allow American troops to use Turkish territory to conduct military operations on Iraq was a watershed event in Turkish-American relations. It did not occur in isolation, though, but rather was the result of diplomatic and political errors and miscalculations on both sides. Nor can the March 1 vote - or the July 4 incident - fully explain subsequent US-Turkish tension. Irritants in bilateral relations have included misguided US diplomacy in the run-up to the war and an American failure to properly address PKK terrorism, as well as counterproductive Turkish strategies regarding Iraqi Turkmen and Kurds. Both Washington and Ankara have failed to engage productively about the future of Kirkuk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]