Türk dış politikasında Suriye`nin kırkbeş yılı: Sovyet Sosyalist Cumhuriyetler Birliği`nin gölgesinde

ABSTRACTFOURTY FIVE YEARS OF TURKISH FOREIGN POLICYTOWARDS SYRIA:UNDER THE SHADOW OFUNION OF SOVIET SOCIALIST REPUBLICSAYDOĞDU, ÖZAY MURATM.A., Department of International RelationsSupervisor: Asst. Prof. Nur Bilge CrissJuly 2005This thesis analyzes the Turkish-Syrian relations between 1945 and 1990 andexamines whether there was an influence of the Soviet Union or not in relationsbetween both states. Although Turkish foreign policy was accepted as pro-westernoriented policy by academic environment, it can be said that Turkey was partlyinfluenced by the Soviet Union in its policy towards Syria.Turkey established relations with Syria and Middle Eastern states in varyingapproaches, and adopted these approaches in order to be in harmony with the West.However, the Soviet Union was important in Turkish foreign policy towards Syriabecause Syria was a Soviet advocate in the Middle East and was supported widely bythe Soviet Union. Although the opinion of the Turkish foreign policy was stemmedfrom the Soviet Union was widespread, Turkey used the Soviet menace for itsdomestic and international interests. On the contrary, especially in post-1960policies, Turkey improved its relations with the Soviet Union while it establishedrapprochement with Arab states in order to keep its national interests.Keywords: Turkish Foreign Policy, Turkey, Syria, the Soviet Union, The MiddleEast