Abstract
After an interlude of three years, the first civilian government was formed by özal in December 1983- Particular reference in the government program was given to the point that relations with the Soviet Union would be developed on the basis of principles of independence, non-interference in internal affairs and on the groundwork of the Helsinki Final Act. C 1023 It should be noted that First özal government's Minister for foreign affairs, Vahit Halef oğlu, was a former ambassador to Moscow, and that the first agreement of this government was to be a border verificition protocol with the Soviet Union. By the time Gorbachev came to power in 19S5, relations between the United States and the Soviet Union started entering into a new phase. At a personal 'summit' meeting at Geneva in 19S5, Gorbachev and Reagan appeared to create a rapproachement. Secretary-General Gorbachev seemed to take conciliatory line in face of 'Reagan Doctrine' and divert his country's sources for the means required to cope with increasingly urgent economic and social problems within his country. E. Summary and Discussion In the latter part of the 1970s detente process gained Î07momentum that made Turkish -foreign policy makers question the country's exclusive reliance on the Western security alignments. In the period succeeding the American Congress' decision of arms embargo, the revision of basic premises of Turkey's security policy was regarded by major parties as an urgent national issue. Therefore, throughout the latter part of the 1970s, major parties shared a similar commitment for the development of a national defense industry in accordance with a new national security concept. As a conceptual offspring of this period, although 'Multidirectional foreign policy' concept was strongly promoted by the governments under the leadership of Bülent Ecevit, it remained a matter of controversy among the major parties in the parliament. However, in accordance with the policy modification towards a more individualistic posture in international relations, a steady improvement of the relations with the Soviet Union was maintained. However, having switched off from the former apprehensive policy towards Moscow, Ankara heedful ly avoided all sorts of alignments directly jeopardizing the security of the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union also carefully avoided any interference in Turkey's internal affairs in this period and displayed its 308affirmative attitude of immediate recognition of various parties or military regimes coming to power in Ankara irrespective of their political tendencies. However, at the beginning of 1980s Turkey's relations with the Soviet Union was temporarily under the influence of deterioration in East-West relations particularly after the Soviet intervention in Afghanistan which caused a great deal of irritation and concern in Turkey. 309
