Of all the consequences of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) possibly the least expected was the stress on US-Turkish relations caused by Turkey 's refusal to allow U.S. troops to traverse or operate from Turkish territory. Prior to the 1 March 2003, vote in the Turkish Parliament, the US had won approval to enhance the military facility infrastructure within Turkey with the aim of using the refurbished facilities from which to stage military operations. Furthermore, the US, to this point, consistently highlighted Turkey as its model of choice for emerging Islamic democracies. In this case, however, it was those same democratic processes, namely the popular expression of the Turkish people through their parliamentary representatives, which seemed to prevent the US from attaining its political and military objectives within the region. The strain on the US-Turkish relationship caused by the events of OIF raises significant questions about the strength of the two countries' strategic partnership. This thesis aims to examine the continued and future viability of the US-Turkish strategic partnership and answer the question: "Is Turkey still a key US strategic partner in the European-Asian region following Turkish refusal for US forces to traverse or conduct operations out of Turkish territory during OIF?" This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.