Joshua W. Walker
Joshua W. Walker is a Transatlantic Fellow at the German Marshall Fund of the United States. He is responsible for the Turkey program and Japan portfolio of the Asia program. Active in bridging the academic and policy worlds, Dr. Walker is a Young Society Leader and Top 99 under 33 Foreign Policy Leader who co-founded the Yale Journal of International Affairs, Young Professionals in Foreign Policy in New York, and the Project on Religion, Diplomacy, and International Relations at Princeton. He is also a visiting scholar at George Mason University’s Vural Ak Center for Global Islamic Studies, non-resident fellow at the Crown Center for Middle Eastern Studies at Brandeis University, and a Truman National Security Fellow. Among his many affiliations, he has most recently been a fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School, Tokyo University, the Council on Foreign Relations, and the Transatlantic Academy. He has taught at Istanbul Sehir Merkez, Middle East Technical University, George Mason, Princeton, University of Richmond, and Yale.
He earned his Ph.D. in Politics and Public Policy with a specialization on international relations and security studies at Princeton University. He holds a Master's degree in International Relations from Yale University and a Bachelor's degree from the University of Richmond. He was a Fulbright Fellow in Ankara, Turkey and has worked for the U.S. Embassy and State Department on Turkey.
In addition to his numerous articles, briefs, and book projects (most recent book Turkey and Its Neighbors: Lynne Reinner, 2011) Dr. Walker has written for a variety of outlets including the Boston Globe, Christian Science Monitor, Foreign Policy, International Affairs, International Herald Tribune, New Republic, Washington Quarterly, and Washington Times. Dr. Walker’s forthcoming book focuses on the role of historical memories in post-imperial successor states, with a particular focus on Japan and Turkey's domestic and foreign policies.
He grew up in Sapporo, Japan where he lived for 15 years and his family still resides.
Blog Contributions
Click here for all of this author's GMF blog posts.
News Articles
Reaffirming Tokyo’s Leader in WashingtonMay 01, 2012Bold and steady political leadership is necessary to set Japan to on the right course and to forge cooperation on key U.S. economic and security interests.
Davutoğlu's 2012 visit to Washington once again showcased Turkey's self-confidence as a rising regional power and vision for its neighborhood.
Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu's visit to Washington this week comes at a pivotal time in U.S.-Turkish relations.
Turkey's support for Syrian insurgents reverses detente with Damascus. Its about-face can reinforce an Arab League agreement with Syria to end violence, and reassure the West of its commitment to NATO values. But is the break an exception, or a broad change in foreign policy?...
After nearly a decade in power, Turkey's Justice and Development Party (AKP) has grown increasingly confident in its foreign policy, prompting observers to wondered aloud whether the country might be leaving "the West," forcing that group to confront the question "who lost Turkey?"
The headline stories from WikiLeaks of the last few days have focused attention on American foreign policy, with a particular focus on the strains within and with historic allies. The central role of Turkey in these revelations has caused further apprehension in U.S.-Turkish relations at an already tense moment in the alliance.
Given the headline-grabbing actions of Turkey this summer with regard to both Israel and Iran, a powerful narrative has emerged in which the West has "lost" Turkey. But this narrative ignores the process of democratization in Turkey and the domestic pressures facing a populist Justice and Development Party (AKP) government.
As an American who has just returned from a series of discussions on international relations and America’s role in the Levant and the South Caucuses, I’m left with a sinking feeling. It was eye-opening to see the discrepancy between America’s vibrant debates at home over the upcoming mid-term elections and virtual silence on U.S. foreign policy priorities in this region of the world.
Publications
The Missing Transatlantic Link: Trilateral Cooperation in the Post-Ottoman SpaceMay 17, 2012This policy brief argues for trilateral cooperation between the EU, the U.S., and Turkey.
Eurasia’s Hinge: It’s More than just EnergyMay 11, 2012This policy brief looks at Azerbaijan's global strategic importance.
Staying Above the Middle Eastern Fray: Turkey’s Sectarian TemptationsMarch 30, 2012
This policy brief asks if Turkey will be able to avoid the sectarianism taking place in neighboring Middle Eastern countries.
U.S.-Turkish Relations: Modesty and RevitalizationDecember 15, 2011This policy brief encourages a strengthening of U.S.-Turkish relations....
This policy brief argues that Turkey now must prove it is able to transcend its long tradition of "democracy without democrats" both internally and externally.
This policy brief draws parallels between the current Turkish football match-fixing scandal and Turkish politics....
After WikiLeaks, U.S.-Turkish Relations in Need of Catharsis not RecriminationsDecember 15, 2010This policy brief examines the fallout of the Wikileaks release on U.S.-Turkey relations.

