Turkey and the War on Terror: 'For Forty Years We Fought Alone'

Turkey has been the target of terrorism since the 1960s but until President George W. Bush declared his war on terror, Turkish efforts to fight terrorists enjoyed little sympathy in the West. Comments were mostly focused on the justifications advanced by terrorists and on complaints that human rights were violated in the course of anti-terrorist operations. 9/11 and then the terrorist attacks on British targets and on synagogues in Istanbul in November 2003 have led to a re-evaluation of the costs that terrorism has imposed on Turkey and to a greater readiness to cooperate with Turkish authorities in facing the continuing menace of terror. The time is now ripe to examine the history of terrorism inside Turkey and against Turkish targets outside the country, and to consider the extent to which it has harmed the country's peaceful development. Andrew Mango, who has spent his professional life following and analysing current affairs in Turkey, tells this story to which the West has until recently closed itsears. This book will be of interest to undergraduate and postgraduate students of Turkey, terrorism, security studies and international relations.