NATO and Turkey from the perspective of common security and defence policy

Europe experienced a great downturn with The Second World War and could recover through efforts to make a peaceful environment after the war. European Union that emerged as a global actor in world system with its unique supra-national structure has gained ground as a civilization project. Today European Union is seen as the headmost union structure that can be established between nation states. This model growing prodigiously in economic terms in the world has not been able to succeed the same in political terms. The differences of opinion between the member states constituting the European Union in the area of security and defence has deepened this situation. Especially after the Cold War, being insufficient in terms of security and overcoming this through NATO, European Union has searched for new solutions. While NATO was trying to preserve the territory of its allies during the Cold War, after the Cold War it has served for providing the global peace. The international organisations such as UN and EU are insufficient in the area of defence so this increases the need f or NATO. This study aims to analyse the efforts of European Union to establish new formations for security with the increase in need for NATO. In this study the steps taken by NATO that has taken the task of world gendarmerie during the Cold War following the collapse of its enemy Warsaw Pact, for ensuring democracy and security structuring in the world starting from Europe have taken place. In addition to this European Union in the new security structuring and its relations in the area of security has been analysed. As a result this study, which aims to examine the importance and position of Turkey that has relations with European Union since its establishment in terms of this security issues, is constituted of five parts except for the introduction and conclusion. Firstly the concept of security has been defined. In the second part the important improvements for European security structuring before the Cold War has been explained. In the third part the formation of European Security structuring after the Cold War and the institutional structure in this framework has been analysed. In the fourth part the establishment of NATO, its importance in Europe and Turkey's Security structuring and their relations in the context of Common Security and Defence Policy has been explained. In the last part the decision making system of NATO and EU in the issues of security over the new security structuring developed after September 11 and the units constituted within this framework has been analysed from the perspective of Turkey.