Dr. Gregory Young: Turkey: Still a Democratic NATO Ally or Did the Attempted Coup Change Everything? 

On July 15-16, 2016, elements within the Turkish military and police operating outside of the chain of command mobilized air and ground forces in a failed attempt to seize political power from Turkish President Recep Tayip Erdoğan. Erdoğan’s authoritarian and Islamist tendencies have alienated him from the tradiational Turkish secular elite.  Many believe that he is moving away from the Turkish republic as established by Mustafa Kemal Attatürk. What caused this fourth coup attempt by the Turkish military? Is U.S.-exiled cleric Fetullah Gülen responsable as Erdoğan contends? The subsequent crackdown and interment of some 13,000 accused coup-plotters has driven a great wedge between 

Turkey and its NATO allies. What will be the impact of this coup and its aftermath on U.S./Turkish relations and Turkish participation in the fight against ISIL/DAESH

Dr. Young, who was in Turkey this summer, earned his Master’s degree with distinction in National Security Studies from the Naval Postgraduate School, receiving national recognition for thesis research which uncovered the mutiny on the Soviet destroyer Storozhevoy. This research was the basis for Tom Clancy's best-selling novel The Hunt for Red October. From 1990-93, he taught at the US Naval Academy and was the Associate Chairman of the Political Science department. And from 1993-98, at the US Air Force Academy, he was an Assistant Professor of Political Science and the Senior Naval Officer. 

In 1998, CDR Young retired from active naval service. He returned to the University of Colorado and was awarded a PhD in political science in 2005. His dissertation research involved how strategic culture influenced threat perception during the Cold War. From 2006-08, He was an Assistant professor of political science at the University of Northern Colorado, and from 2009 to present professor of political science and international affairs, University of Colorado, Boulder. 

Dr. Young is the author of The Last Sentry: The True Story That Inspired the Hunt for Red October published by US Naval Institute Press, in 2005. The book was among the “Ten Most Notable Books of 2005” by the Naval Institute. For the last ten year’s Greg’s research focus has been Middle Eastern culture with a particular focus on Turkey where he has spent the last five summers doing research and teaching.