The Foreign Service Journal, March 2010

F O C U S O N I R A Q & I T S N E I G H B O R S T HE U.S. AND T URKEY : B ACK FROM THE B RINK 30 F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L / M A R C H 2 0 1 0 elations between Turkey and the United States foundered between 2003 and 2007 over various issues, the most important of which was Iraq. Disagreement over the U.S.-led invasion diminished Ankara’s standing in Washington, produced Turkish public antipathy toward American policy in the region and, most importantly, undermined our governments’ ability to cooperate on Iraq and other issues. Getting the nexus of Turkey-Iraq issues right was job number-one for U.S. Mission Turkey between 2005 and 2008. A MERICAN , I RAQI AND T URKISH POLICYMAKERS SHOULD CONTINUE TO FOCUS ON PROMOTING DIALOGUE AND MAKING COMMON CAUSE . B Y R OSS W ILSON R Laszlo Kubinyi