See: Turkey, a Turkey of a US Ally: Part I
The U.S. has some important national interests in the Middle East that I have discussed before. These include: 1) the U.S. has a primary interest in ensuring its own physical security and that of its citizenry from foreign attack; 2) The U.S. has an interest in protecting its own economic well-being by keeping the oil and natural gas lanes in the Middle East flowing to the U.S. and the world; 3) the U.S. has an interest in bolstering the interests and security of its allies—i.e., positive reinforcement—and alternatively, in undermining or punishing its opponents so as to incentivize pro-U.S. policies; 4) the U.S. has an interest in balancing power in every region so as to deter future wars and help stabilize the world; 5) the U.S. has an interest in maximizing its popularity with other nations; 6) the U.S. has historically expressed its…
