This chapter advances the thesis that Turkey is, and has long been, a key example of the contending dynamics in the Middle East o f regionalism, localism, and globalization. Turkey is the bordering state between the Middle East and Europe, the latter being a leading ‘producer’ o f globalization. It has felt the attractions of European (and Western) trade, exported labour to Europe, been exposed to Western media and cultural exports, contended with the difficult dynamics of democratization, and aspired to membership in the European Union. After highlighting Turkey’s modem relations with the Middle East, the chapter will examine its aspiration to join the EU, a unique phenomenon in this region. It will then analyse the contending forces o f globalization and security in Turkish foreign and domestic policy, situating EU accession within the context o f globalist arguments about Turkey’s future.