Abdullah Gül, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Turkey, discusses the relationship between Turkey and Iraq.

Watch Abdullah Gül, deputy prime minister and minister of foreign affairs of the Republic of Turkey, discuss Turkey's relationship with Iraq and the broader Middle East.

Listen to Abdullah Gül, deputy prime minister and minister of foreign affairs of the Republic of Turkey, discuss Turkey's relationship with Iraq and the broader Middle East.

Congressional Research Service report that provides information about the current perspectives and policies of Iraq’s neighbors; analyzes potential regional responses to continued insurgency, wider sectarian or ethnic violence, and long-term stabilization; discusses shared concerns and U.S. long-term regional interests; and reviews U.S. policy options for responding to various contingencies.

Pope Benedict XVI makes his first visit to a majority Muslim state, Turkey, on November 28. The trip’s original aim was to build ties with Christian Orthodox leaders but the pope’s recent comments on faith, reason, and Islam—as well as Turkey’s EU accession—are likely to resonate throughout.

Steven A. Cook, CFR’s leading expert on Turkey, says the country is so preoccupied with issues of European Union membership, continuing problems over divided Cyprus, and the Kurdish issues that the pending visit of Pope Benedict XVI has not aroused much interest.

A year into Ankara’s EU accession bid, the path to membership proves to be strewn with obstacles.

Terra Lawson-Remer argues that the International Finance Corporation (the member of the World Bank Group responsible for financing private-sector projects) can and should require inclusion of commitments regarding sustainable development and human rights in the legal covenants that often govern large private-sector investments.

Steven A. Cook says relations between the United States and Turkey are strained due to conflicting interests in Iraqi Kurdistan. Washington does not want to upset the relative stability in northern Iraq, whereas Turkey seeks to remove the threat of Kurdish militants in the region.

This 2006 report from the Washington Institute offers a comprehensive assessment of all completed, ongoing, and planned pipeline projects in the Black Sea littoral and beyond, covering output statistics, construction and maintenance costs, key political issues, and numerous other factors. It also outlines the domestic measures Turkey will need to pursue in order to take advantage of the pipelines transiting its territory.

Council Fellows Steven A. Cook and Elizabeth Sherwood-Randall joined presider Marc Grossman, former ambassador to Turkey, in a presentation of a new Council Special Report. Underscoring the importance of the US-Turkey relationship, they expressed support for Turkey’s integration into the European Union, called for the resolution of the Cyprusissue, and suggested trilateral talks between Turkey, theU.S. and legitimate Kurdish-Iraqi leaders.

“The growing schism between the West and the Islamic world is one of the primary challenges confronting American foreign and defense policymakers. As a consequence, the relationship between the United States and Turkey—a Western-oriented, democratizing Muslim country—is strategically more important than ever,” asserts a new Special Report.

The U.S.-Turkish relationship, a Cold War strategic fixture, shows signs of fraying. A new CFR report says Washington can help repair ties by improving dialogue on Iraqi Kurds, taking a bigger role in resolving the Cyprus dispute, and boosting Ankara's bid to join the European Union.

This Council Special Report makes the case that Turkey's strategic importance to the United States is greater than ever, and that a major effort needs to be undertaken to renew and revitalize the relationship.

Steven Cook, CFR's Douglas Dillon Fellow, discusses the troublesome state of U.S. relations with Turkey and suggests a diplomatic approach for repairing ties with the critical ally.