American Image in Turkey (PDF)

Most recognize the importance of public opinion in foreign policy decisions in democracies. However, despite its importance to American security, the question of how American foreign policy has affected the views of foreign publics about the United States is seldom asked. Throughout American Image in Turkey: U.S. Foreign Policy Dimensions, Giray Sadik explores the relationship between American foreign policy and Turkish public opinion about the United States since 9/11. In the post-9/11 era, Turkey was one of the earliest states to join the global coalition against terrorism, but American and Turkish cooperation in Afghanistan contrasts with their differences about Iraq, which destabilizes their strategic partnership. Sadik examines the effects of American military and economic aid, foreign direct investment (FDI), as well as bilateral trade between the United States and Turkey on Turkish public opinion about the United States, addressing how these tools can increase levels of favorable public opinion toward the United States. Sadik explains how different trends of U.S. military and economic policies toward Turkey translate into significantly different levels of influence on post-9/11 Turkish public opinion toward the United States. The implications of new geopolitical realities make explorations of the effects of foreign policy on public opinion all the more urgent.