Bridge across the bosporus

With borders on Europe, the Middle East, and the Soviet Union, Turkey's strategic geopolitical position confers on her greater political importance than size and mili tary and economic strength alone would indicate. A member of NATO, she is re garded as the vital southeastern redoubt of the alliance. She controls the Turkish straits leading to the Black Sea, which are vital for Russian access to the Mediterra nean. She is a relative bastion of calm in the turbulent Middle East. Because her cooperation and good will are considered vital to the strategic interests of both Russia and the West, the attitudes of her policy leaders are of wide interest.

Bridge across the Bosporus is the only book which outlines in detail the historical background which has shaped Turkey's contemporary foreign policy attitudes, and provides a thorough, up-to-date analysis of current foreign policy thinking. In pre paring the book, the author consulted ex tensively with Turkish political leaders. Officials at the Ministry of Foreign Af fairs, leaders of Turkey's political parties, journalists, and intellectuals were inter viewed at length. Further material was ob tained from the U.S. Department of State, the British Foreign Office, from NATO and Common Market headquarters, and from foreign policy experts and scholars in many countries.

The result is a careful assessment of the special considerations of national interest which shape Turkey's policies on im portant issues like the Middle East, con tinued cooperation with the U.S., Turkish Soviet relations, and NATO.