Ekavi Athanassopoulou is Assistant Professor of International Relations at the University of Athens. She is the author of Turkey: Anglo-American Security Interests, 1945-1952: The First Enlargement of NATO (1999).
Dr. Ekavi Athanassopoulou offers a sophisticated critical interpretation of a dynamic and difficult chapter of the strategic relationship between Turkey and the United States. Her achieved study is undoubtedly a very important read not only for those who are interested in the history of NATO's Southern Flank in the Cold War, but also for those who wish to have a clearer understanding why and how both states have so far been able to manage their strategic cooperation throughout the first decades of the post-Cold war era despite the complexities of that transformational period. Ali L. Karaosmanoglu Professor Emeritus of International Relations Bilkent University, Ankara Based on extensive research in archival and published sources as well as an impressive array of interviews with leading American, Turkish and Israeli policy makers, Strategic Relations between the US and Turkey underlines the importance, not only of principles but also of key individuals in the formation of foreign policy. Athanassopoulou makes a considerable contribution to the post-cold war history of US-Turkish relations, providing significant corrections to what we thought we knew about Turkish motivations. This perceptive study should interest general readers as well as scholars. James Goode Professor of History, Grand Valley State University, USA In this seminal informative study Ekavi Athanassopoulou has succeeded in placing the US-Turkish relations, especially after the 1990s, within the sphere of global events, such as Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, the Iraq war of 1990, Arab-Israeli relations, which transformed Turkey from a passive international actor to an aspiring regional power while the US redefined, re-evaluated and upgraded its relations with Ankara. Written in a clear lucid style and objective manner, the book is an indispensable basic source of new information for all students of US relations with Turkey and its surrounding areas, and is very highly recommended. Kemal H. Karpat Distinguished Professor of History University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA