No bright prospects for Turkey’s EU membership

DIIS Report investigates continuities and ruptures in Turkish foreign policy

Currently, the prospects for Turkey’s EU membership do not look very bright. With
key chapters for negotiation already suspended, the government is likely to resume a
loose Europeanization agenda. The counterpart of this in the foreign-policy realm is
an approach based on ‘soft Euro-asianism’. An attempt is also being made to develop
friendly relationships with all neighboring countries, coupled with a mediating role
in regional conflicts, but without the EU providing the main axis for foreign policy.
The present report investigates the continuities and ruptures in Turkish foreign policy
during the post-2002 AKP era. It attempts to identify the underlying reasons for the
decline in enthusiasm for EU membership following the golden age of Europeanization
and reforms during the early years of the AKP government. The report also
points to internal and external political developments which may help to reverse the
current drift away from Europeanization.

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