The Credibility of America's Extended Nuclear Deterrent

As Iran moves ever closer to a nuclear weapons capability, will other area powers such as Turkey decide to acquire their own nuclear weapons and embark on a crash nuclear weapons program to provide their own deterrent? Or will Turkey's leaders trust in the United States' extended nuclear deterrent for Turkey's security? Col William G. Eldridge has explored this question in depth. To shore up the United States' ability to convince the Turks to stay in the nonnuclear category, he recommends keeping the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and bilateral alliances with Turkey strong and, with Turkey, establishing a more common vision for the Middle East. He also advises reducing trade barriers with Turkey, maintaining and even increasing military arms trading and aid, keeping US forces in present numbers in Turkey and improving militaryto- military ties, maintaining Turkey as a partner in dual-capable aircraft production, and, for now, keeping some US nuclear weapons in NATO Europe.