This broad-ranging study examines the complex factors leading to the US imposition of the Turkish arms embargo (1974–1978), which marked a major turning point in relations between the two NATO allies. Focusing on domestic politics, the work draws on newly available archival materials at presidential libraries and from a broad array of rarely used personal papers of key senators and congressmen to provide new details and insights into the struggle between the executive and Congress. It reveals the constant interaction and complex maneuvering required to fashion successful strategies away from t ... More

This broad-ranging study examines the complex factors leading to the US imposition of the Turkish arms embargo (1974–1978), which marked a major turning point in relations between the two NATO allies. Focusing on domestic politics, the work draws on newly available archival materials at presidential libraries and from a broad array of rarely used personal papers of key senators and congressmen to provide new details and insights into the struggle between the executive and Congress. It reveals the constant interaction and complex maneuvering required to fashion successful strategies away from the public view, giving considerable attention to the neglected yet critical role of the Republican minority in Congress. It analyzes the pervasive influence of both the drug crisis and Turkophobia in initiating and prolonging the embargo and reveals how local ethnic lobbyists across the country organized to encourage grassroots support for Cyprus and opprobrium toward Turkey. The book elaborates on the contemporary context in the eastern Mediterranean and how the governments of Turkey, Greece, and Cyprus worked to influence American policy, often with remarkable success. And it reflects on the conflicted response of Israel and its American supporters to the extended crisis. Many issues analyzed in this study still concern us today, and its insights can provide guidance for future bilateral policy.