The impact of Türkiye discussions in the US congress for defense industry transfer: 2001-2022

The defense industry plays a crucial role in maintaining state sovereignty and national security, making it a vital component of a country's defense strategy and foreign policy. Within the United States' political system, the Congress is authorized to enact authorization and appropriation laws, holding significant influence over defense policies and industry management. This thesis focuses on examining the defense industry supply issues between Turkey and its main supplier, the US. Specifically, this thesis aims to analyze the impact of Congress discussions about Turkey on defense industry transfers. A comprehensive data set was created by analyzing congressional discourse and legislative proposals related to Turkey from 2001 to 2022 to ascertain the content, variety, and quantity of issues against Turkey. Thus, it has been revealed that as the variety and quantity of anti-Turkey issues increased in the U.S. legislative body, negative decisions regarding defense industry transfers to Turkey were made irrespective of the views of the U.S. President and the executive branch. Based on the findings, it has been determined that the year 2019, marked by various events and crises, marked the zenith of anti-Turkey sentiments, and during this period, it was observed that decisions against defense industry transfers to Turkey were relatively easier to make.