Türkiye'deki Amerika karşıtlığının kamu diplomasisi ile azaltılması

Mitigating Anti-Americanism in Turkey through Public DiplomacyWatson, ForrestDepartment of International RelationsSupervisor: Assoc. Prof. Ersel AydınlıJune 2007Record-high anti-Americanism in Turkey goes deeper than the ongoing Iraq War. Thebuild-up to and aftermath of the U.S. invasion of Turkey?s neighbor ignited pre-existingsensitivities in Turkey due to its past relations with America and its own identity issuesand fears. Turkey views the U.S. through the lenses of 1) an exaggerated view ofAmerican agency coupled with mistrust and 2) a reactionary phobia about threats toundermine the Turkish Republic. Seen through theses lenses, anti-Americanism is drivenby a perception that America is supporting 1) Kurdish self-determination, which will leadto the eventual dismemberment of Turkey and 2) political Islam as a part of its broaderplan for Middle East politics, which threatens to erode Turkey?s secular state.Because anti-Americanism is mostly based on distorted perceptions caused by the lenses,public diplomacy is an effective tool that should be utilized by the U.S. to bring aboutunderstanding with the Turkish public. If the politically-rooted anti-Americanism inTurkey continues, it will solidify into a view of the U.S. as a threatening power,squandering Turks? natural affection for Americans.U.S. public diplomacy for Turkey can be improved by Washington and the U.S. Embassyin Ankara by acting from an understanding of the uniqueness of Turkey and the reasonsthat drive its anti-Americanism. Reinvigorated public diplomacy offers hope forstrengthening a relationship that is in the best interests of both Turkey and America.Keywords: anti-Americanism, public diplomacy, U.S. Embassy, U.S.-Turkeyrelations, Turkish identity, Kurdish issue, political Islam