ABSTRACT
This study examines why anti-base movements occur and/or are activated in countries hosting U.S. military bases by focusing on the case of Turkey. To shed light on that problem, based on past literature, the chapter posits three independent variables: the frequency of contact between U.S. soldiers and ordinary citizens in host countries, the security consensus among the host country’s government officials and political elites, and the national identity of citizens in host countries. To analyze anti-base movements in Turkey, the chapter proceeds to set three hypotheses: 1. anti-base movements occur/are activated with increased contact; 2. anti-base movements occur/are activated when outside threats and security issues increase; and 3. anti-base movements occur when the feeling of Turkishness among Turkish citizens is infringed upon. To explore the validity of these hypotheses, the chapter examines three cases of anti-base movements in Turkey: the social unrests in the 1960s and 1970s, during the Iraqi war in 2003 and following the coup d’état attempt in Turkey on 15 July 2016. Based on the Turkish case, the chapter concludes that anti-base movements occur and/or are activated when the host country’s citizens feel that their national identity is in jeopardy.
