Alliances in International Relations - 4
Just a Brief Introduction Knowledge For Those Who Want To Learn About Alliances.
Before Turkey, joined NATO even before, NATO has established Turkey was a part of some alliances such as the Balkan Pact (1934) and Sadabat Pact (1937). The point was that participating, and founding these alliances is taking precautions against revisionist states. Also, the world had just come out of World War I 1 and all countries were very exhausted. They did not want to be in another big war, unfortunately, their wish cannot occur.
However, the reason is the founding of the Balkan Pact is that Bulgaria and Albania were not happy with the situation in the Balkans. Bulgaria wanted to make wider its borders, using Bulgarian minorities in Macedonia. Albania wanted to do the same thing also. On the other hand, Romania, Yugoslavia, and Turkey were happy with the situation in the Balkans. Relationships between Turkey and Greece getting better, so they decided to sign a contract and this is the reason for the founding of the Balkan Pact. Romania, Turkey, Greece, and Yugoslavia started to join Balkan Pact even though they wanted Bulgaria and Albania to participate in the Pact but they did not join this pact due to Italian pressure. The borders of the Balkan states were mutually secured. These states agreed not to take any political action or conclude any political treaty with any Balkan state without consulting each other. Turkey secured its western borders with this treaty.
Sadabat Pact was founded by Turkey, Iran, Iraq, and Afghanistan. As expressed before in above this pact was founded for protecting from revisionist states. Especially, Italy’s trying to invade Ethiopia provided that making alliance ships of Eastern countries including Turkey. With this Pact, Turkey has both widened the security circle around it and proved that it is an indispensable power in the region.
Unfortunately, with the outbreak of World War Two, these two Pacts lost their importance and Turkey has never pursued such a good foreign policy again. After that, with the end of the WW2 and the beginning of the Cold – War, Turkey wanted to take place in NATO but according to the USA, Turkey was not under threat from the Soviets. Turkey wanted to be protected. Because of that, Turkey sent its troops to Korea to fight the threat of ‘communism’.
References:
https://www.tarihiolaylar.com/tarihi-olaylar/balkan-antanti-224