[2] In the following decades, as the United States has been engaged in oil wars in the Middle East, Turkey has supported the U.S. in some capacity, directly or indirectly, by giving authorization for the use of the Incirlik Air Base.

In 1969, Ambassador Komer's car was set on fire by the Marxist-Leninist Dev-Genç during his visit of Mustafa Kemal Kurdaş at the Middle East Technical University, in which the nascent institution was developed using the aid given by the United States.

While claiming Turkey turned a blind eye to ISIL and other jihadist networks on both sides of its border, US began openly arming the People's Protection Units (a militia related to Kurdistan Workers' Party).

Turkey was also excluded from the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program on July 17, 2019, citing risks associated with the connection of a potential Russian intelligence gathering platform with advanced radars and sensors to NATO's networks.

[61] In the 1950s and 1960s, Turkey generally cooperated with other United States allies in the Middle East (Iran, Israel, and Jordan) to contain the influence of countries (Egypt, Iraq, and Syria) regarded as Soviet clients.

[76] In 1969, Ambassador Komer's car was set on fire by the Marxist-Leninist Dev-Genç[76] during his visit of Mustafa Kemal Kurdaş at the Middle East Technical University, in which the nascent institution was developed using the aid given by the United States.

The following year, in 1984, the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization by the U.S. State Department,[84] declared itself as a paramilitary group and began staging attacks in the villages and towns of southeastern and eastern Turkey.

The selection of this symbolic location, despite the existence of more economical alternatives closer to or within the United States, led to the perception that it conveyed a veiled warning message to Turkey regarding the fate of Cyprus.

[87] Although Ankara resented continued attempts by the United States Congress to restrict military assistance to Turkey because of Cyprus and the introduction of congressional resolutions condemning the Armenian genocide, the Özal government generally perceived the administration of President George H. W. Bush as sympathetic to Turkish interests.

[61] Furthermore, the United States, unlike European countries, did not persistently and publicly criticize Turkey over allegations of human rights violations,[61] nor did it pressure Özal on the Kurdish problem.

After the war, Turkey continued to support major United States initiatives in the region, including the creation of a safe zone for Iraqi Kurds over northern Iraq.

Turkey performed cross-border operations into northern Iraq: In September 1998, Masoud Barzani and Jalal Talabani signed the US-mediated Washington Agreement and established a formal peace treaty.

As a result, the Syrian government forced Öcalan to leave the country, who was captured in Kenya on February 15, 1999, while being transferred from the Greek embassy to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi, in an operation by the National Intelligence Organization (MIT) with the help of the CIA.

During the 2008 US presidential election, he had criticized former US President George W. Bush for his failure to take a stance and stated that the "Armenian genocide is not an allegation, a personal opinion, or a point of view, but rather a widely documented fact supported by an overwhelming body of historical evidence".

[177][178] Yeni Şafak, a Turkish pro-government newspaper, claimed that the former commander of NATO forces in Afghanistan, now-retired U.S. Army General John F. Campbell, was the "mastermind" behind the coup attempt in Turkey.

[179] In late July 2016, Turkish prime minister Binali Yıldırım told The Guardian: "Of course, since the leader of this terrorist organisation is residing in the United States, there are question marks in the minds of the people whether there is any U.S. involvement or backing.

[180] Turkey's Anadolu Agency report chief prosecutor's office launched an investigation into 17 U.S.-based individuals, including Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, former U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara and ex-CIA director John Brennan, for their alleged links to cleric Fethullah Gulen.

It is a "model of really operating through civil society, then the education sector, then the police and judiciary, and then the military to consolidate power in the hands of a particular party, which is something we'd prefer not to see and is sadly contributing to the drift of Turkey away from the West.

"[192]We expect the United States, which we continue to recognize as our friend and ally, to display the same stance to our country, to cease all forms of cooperation with terrorist groups such as YPG and provide more concrete and effective support in our ongoing determined fight against terrorism and radicalism.On June 26, 2024, H.R.

As the war made the return of refugees to Syria uncertain, Turkey focused on how to manage their presence in Turkish society by addressing their legal status, basic needs, employment, education, and impact on local communities.

[218] Flynn, who was specialized in US counterterrorism strategy and dismantling insurgent networks, argued Gulen falls into radical Islamist groups aligned with Seyed Qutb and Hasan al Bana and he finished his article stating "running a scam".

[237] In addition, the Uşak Province decided to stop running digital advertisement on United States-based social media platforms like Facebook, Google, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube, canceling all of their ads as a response to US sanctions on Turkey.

[278] Subsequently, doubts were raised by a number of international policy analysts that military sanctions on the NATO ally would weaken the alliance, effectively reducing Turkey's ability to obtain American technology for regional defense.

[290] President Biden expressed consent for Turkey-United Nations to develop parallel agreements with Russia and Ukraine to provide a Black Sea corridor for Ukrainian grain exports in solving the global supply concerns.

[302] On September 6, 2024, Turkish-American human rights activist Ayşenur Ezgi Eygi was shot in the head by an Israel Defense Forces (IDF) sniper during a protest against illegal Israeli settlements in Beita, Nablus, in the West Bank.

[319] On May 18, 2022, the U.S. brought the issue of listing the PYD and YPG (defined as "allies" by the United States in the war against ISIS, but viewed by Turkey as affiliates of the outlawed PKK) and the Gülen movement as "terrorist organizations" to the table for clarification.

Senator Bob Menendez, who had earlier expressed his opposition to the sale of F-16Vs to Turkey, stated that he still maintained this view despite the Sweden-Turkey deal over the former's NATO membership, brokered by President Biden.

[327] On March 21, 2024, Bob Menendez announced that due to federal corruption charges (including bribery, extortion, honest services fraud, obstruction of justice, and conspiracy) he would not run in the Democratic primary.

[347] The United States and Turkey share membership in NATO, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), and continue to cooperate in important projects, such as the Joint Strike Fighter program.

Sancar is currently the Sarah Graham Kenan Professor of Biochemistry and Biophysics at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine and a member of the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center.