Continuity and change in Türkiye-UK relations (1945-2002)

This study aims to examine the bilateral relations between Turkey and the United Kingdom from the beginning of the Cold War to the year 2002, within the framework of "continuity and change." In the emerging international system shaped after the Second World War, Turkey's orientation toward the Western bloc and its political, military, and diplomatic contacts with the United Kingdom are analyzed within the context of the geopolitical dynamics of the period. The thesis explores how institutionalized relations between Turkey and Britain evolved through structures such as NATO, the Baghdad Pact, and CENTO as Turkey's position within the Western Alliance solidified during the Cold War. The 1960s stand out as a period when internal political ruptures in Turkey and the Cyprus issue escalated tensions in Turkish-British relations and tested the allied bonds. In the 1970s, the rupture in relations caused by the Cyprus Peace Operation led to a weakening of diplomatic dialogue channels; Britain's policy of balance was critically evaluated by Turkey. However, the liberal foreign policy openings initiated during the Özal era in the 1980s brought about a renewed rapprochement in economic and military relations. In the post-Cold War period, Turkey and the United Kingdom carried their cooperation to new dimensions in the context of emerging security threats, NATO's evolving role, and the European Union process. The military coordination developed since the 1991 Gulf War, the 1999 Kosovo intervention, and the global security architecture shaped after the 9/11 attacks indicate a deepening of strategic partnership between the two countries. In this context, the study evaluates the dynamics of Turkish-British relations between 1945 and 2002 in a historical framework and demonstrates that bilateral relations were shaped not only by fluctuations but also by institutional continuity. The study is based on literature review and document analysis methods; archival records, diplomatic correspondences, newspaper reports from the period, academic publications, and expert interviews were utilized. While both domestic and international literature were examined, priority was given to the contributions of Turkish scholars; British archival materials and government reports were used as secondary sources. Accordingly, this thesis offers a comprehensive perspective to understand the multidimensional course of Turkish-British relations and contributes to the interpretation of Turkey's foreign policy reflexes during the relevant period.