Diverging Perceptions of the Cold War: Baghdad Pact as a Source of Conflict Between Turkey and the Nationalist Arab Countries

Abstract

Cold War dynamics compelled Turkey and the nationalist Arab countries, particularly Egypt and Syria, to join two opposing camps. Conflicting geopolitical interests between Turkey and the nationalist Arab countries led to a rivalry for regional hegemony and an alignment pattern inimical to the security of the other countries. Turkey's membership in NATO in 1952 and the establishment of the Baghdad Pact in 1955 caused concern for the Egyptian president Gamal abd-al Nasser, who perceived those pacts as tools of Western imperialism. On the other hand, for Turkey these pacts were guarantors of Turkish security against an expansionist Soviet Union. Diverging threat perceptions between Turkey and the radical Arab states resulted in a tense atmosphere in the Middle East sub-system.