Turkey. Anglo-American Security Interests 1945-1952, The First Enlargement of NATO

Abstract

The book Anglo-American Security Interests in Turkey (1945–1952) argues that Turkey’s alignment with the Western bloc during the early Cold War was driven by security concerns, particularly against Soviet expansionism. Athanassopoulou contends that Turkey’s integration into NATO was a strategic agreement between Turkey and the U.S., where military support from Turkey was exchanged for NATO membership. The author highlights shifting perceptions of Turkey—from a peripheral security concern to a full-fledged NATO member without territorial concessions. The reviewer praises Athanassopoulou’s chronological approach, which examines both European and American viewpoints on Turkey’s security dilemma, enriched by interviews with key participants. However, the book is critiqued for filling a gap in literature that has largely focused on Cold War-era American or Turkish standpoints rather than transitional phases leading to NATO expansion.

(The abstract and keywords were prepared retrospectively for indexing purposes using AI-assisted tools and editorial review, based on the original article. They did not appear in the original publication.)