Diverging Perceptions Of The Cold War: Baghdad Pact As A Source Of Conflict Between Turkey And The Nationalist Arab Countries

Year 2005, Issue: 36, 101 - 118, 01.05.2005

Umut Uzer Ayşe Uzer

https://doi.org/10.1501/Intrel_0000000105

Abstract

Diverging Perceptions Of The Cold War: Baghdad Pact As A Source Of Conflict Between Turkey And The Nationalist Arab Countries

Abstract

Cold War dynamics compelled Turkey and the nationalist Arab countries, particularly Egypt and Syria, to join two opposing camps. Conflicting geopolitical interests betvveen Turkey and the nationalist Arab countries led to a rivalry for regional hegemony and an alignment pattern inimical to the security of the other countries. Turkey's membership in NATO in 1952 and the establishment of the Baghdad Pact in 1955 caused concern for the Egyptian president Gamal abd-al Nasser, vvho perceived those pacts as tools of Western imperialism. On the other hand, for Turkey these pacts vvere guarantors of Turkish security against an expansionist Soviet Union. Diverging threat perceptions betvveen Turkey and the radical Arab states resulted in a tense atmosphere in the Middle East sub-system.

Keywords

The Baghdad Pact, Turkish foreign policy, Syrian foreign policy, Egyptian foreign policy, Adnan Menderes, Gamal abd-al Nasser, Cold War.