19 D uring his irst bilateral intercon- tinental trip ater his election, President Barack Obama visited Turkey in April 2010. During his visit he used the expression “model partnership” to deine US-Turkey relations. Ever since Obama’s visit, Turkish and American analysts of Turkish-American rela- tions have been debating what “model part- nership” really means. Both sides have em- phasized the importance of Turkish-American relations and suggested that a redeinition of relations ater the Bush presidency was neces- sary. However, it seems that there is no agree- ment on what “model partnership” is or will be. Some analysts and even politicians have ar- gued that the Flotilla Crisis and Turkey’s “No” vote at the UN Security Council put an early end to “model partnership,” which is now only a bygone hope. In this commentary, I aim to take issue with such arguments and make a conceptual * Director of SETA-DC, nyilmaz@setav.org U.S.-Turkey Relations: Model Partnership as an ‘Empty Signiier’ NUH YILMAZ* his commentary attempts to make a conceptual evaluation of the phrase “model partnership” as a deinition of US-Turkey relations. Against the background of much debate about the “viability” or “possibility” of “model partnership,” it argues that “model partnership” as an empty signiier does not represent either the ideal or the fully accomplished state of Turkish-American relations. he current problems in the bilateral relations derive from the gradual transformation in the nature of Turkish-American relations from a hierarchical relationship into a complementary one, i.e. from a “strategic partnership” to a “model partnership.” As we are going through a structural change, “policy recommendations” alone will not suice to remedy the broader problem of necessary adjustments. he option for a “model partnership” is still on the table, however, it requires a serious, engaged, and conceptual discussion as the two sides adjust to and negotiate the new form of the relationship. ABSTRACT Insight Turkey Vol. 13 / No. 1 / 2011 pp. 19-25