Turkish Defense Policy after the Cold War Era

Although Turkish defense policy witnessed some changes after the end of the Cold War, in the aftermath of 9/11 and the USA invasion of Iraq, the inclination of Turkey to boost her independency in the realm of defense policy on one hand and lessening of relying on the West on the other hand has been increased. After addressing the principles and purposes of Turkish defense policy, the author of this paper, illustrates defending Turkey against new threats, strengthening its power and increasing involvement in regional crises and conflicts, as the three main pillars of Turkish defense policy. And finally, defense budget, arms procurement and the relevant executive institutions of Turkey are other issues to be tackled in this paper.