Turkey and the Soviet Union During World War II: Diplomacy, Discord and International Relations

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Based on newly accessible Turkish archival documents, Onur Isci's study details the deterioration of diplomatic relations between Turkey and the Soviet Union during World War II. Turkish-Russian relations have a long history of conflict. Under Ataturk relations improved he was a master balancer of the great powers. During the Second World War, however, relations between Turkey and the Soviet Union plunged to several degrees below zero, as Ottoman-era Russophobia began to take hold in Turkish elite circles. For the Russians, hostility was based on long-term apathy stemming from the enormous German investment in the Ottoman Empire; for the Turks, on the fear of Russian territorial ambitions. This book offers a new interpretation of how Russian foreign policy drove Turkey into a peculiar neutrality in the Second World War, and eventually into NATO. Onur Isci argues that this was a great reversal of Ataturk-era policies, and that it was the burden of history, not realpolitik, that caused the move to the west during the Second World War.

Reviews

This book offers a long needed and captivating revision of Turkish foreign policy during the Second World War. Onur Isci deftly weaves a continent-spanning narrative and breaks new archival ground with rich details of Turkish diplomats successful efforts to survive the catastrophes brought about by Soviet and Nazi aggression. * James Ryan, Associate Director of the Hagop Kevorkian Center for Near Eastern Studies, New York University *
In Turkey and the Soviet Union During World War II, Onur Isci revolutionizes our understanding of Turkeys wartime strategy. So far from exploiting the leverage of the neutral to gain back territories lost in the First World War, as others have suggested, the truth is that Turkish statesmen, imperiled in every direction, used all their cunning simply to survive. This is a fascinating tale of intrigue, espionage, betrayals and double crosses. * Sean McMeekin, Francis Flournoy Professor of European History, Bard College *
The complexity of Turkeys international diplomacy, and in particular its relations with the United States and Russia, has always been lost amid Western hand-wringing over losing Turkey. Onur Iscis deftly written, lucid historical work not only provides a meticulous account of Turkeys relationship with the Soviet Union, but an expansive and necessary history of early Turkish foreign policy in general. Turkey and the Soviet Union During WWII is a vital read for anyone trying to understand one of the worlds most misunderstood regions. * Suzy Hansen, author of Notes on a Foreign Country *

Author Bio

Onur Isci is Assistant Professor of International Relations at Bilkent University in Ankara, where he currently serves as the director of the Centre for Russian Studies. He received his PhD from Georgetown University with distinction.