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by Eylül Begüm Sağlam, PhD student in Political Science and a 2023-24 Research Assistant at the European Union Center
Alongside the pre-Republic shift towards more Westernization, enlightenment and modernity in the Ottoman era[1], the early diplomatic history of Türkiye-EU relations could be dated back to Türkiye’s application for association with European Economic Community (EEC) on 31 July 1959.[2] As the country celebrates its hundredth-year anniversary, Türkiye-EU relations deserve a fresh analysis.
A European Country in the Middle East?: The Early Days of Türkiye-EU Relations
Domestic politics have been seen as a “significant barrier” for Türkiye’s accession to the EU since the early days of the negotiations.[3] On September 12, 1963, Türkiye and the EEC signed the Ankara Agreement, establishing “the legal basis of association.”[4] The Additional Protocol of 13 November 1970 could be regarded as a step from preparation to transition.[5] Although the country applied for full membership in 1987, it was not until the Helsinki European Council’s meeting in December 1999 that Türkiye became a candidate country, which could be regarded as a transformation from a vicious cycle kind of relationship to a virtuous one.[6] This shift could be interpreted as a change of relations from unresolved chains of disputes on how to proceed with expectations on both sides to willingness to apply particular criteria (e.g., the paced negotiation process on the EU part, and expected socio-economic changes in the domestic realm on the Türkiye part) on both sides.[7]
Accession to Suspension: An In-Between Türkiye
Even if negotiations for accession started in 2005, Türkiye has continued to have a shaky relationship with the EU.[8] The low point came in the post-2016 period, when negotiations were suspended following two resolutions shared by the EU in November 2016 and July 2017, respectively.[9] Scholars have pointed to various factors in explaining the deterioration of relations between Türkiye and the EU, including the rise of populism, anti-Muslim sentiments, the changing dynamics of refugee influx, and Türkiye’s de-secularization as well as de-Europeanization.[10] Eventually, the Türkiye-EU relationship transformed from an accession-oriented position to a “strategic partnership,”[11] where Türkiye’s role has been mostly conceptualized as securing the EU with regards to refugee flows coming beyond EU borders.
Those Were the Days?: The Future of Strategic Partnership
Even if accession does not look as promising as it did in the heydays of the 1999 Helsinki Summit, it is possible to interpret the EU-Türkiye dynamic as an ongoing question. It is difficult to foresee how this relationship will evolve in time, however, one could not deny that both sides will at least stick to their strategic partnership in various issues from immigration to securitization, considering the long-lasting history of the EU-Türkiye relationship. Türkiye still remains as an essential regional partner for the EU, so does the EU for Türkiye. Immigration will not only be a salient issue in terms of the immigrants who are currently hosted in Türkiye, but also be an essential mediator of this bond with regards to the increasing number of Turkish immigrants in Europe.
[1] Önis, Ziya and Suhnaz Yilmaz. “The Turkey-EU-US
Triangle in Perspective: Transformation or Continuity?.” Middle East Journal
59, no. 2 (2005): 267.
[2] Directorate for EU Affairs. “History of Türkiye- EU Relations.” Accessed
November 14, 2023, https://www.ab.gov.tr/111_en.html.
[3]
Öniş, Ziya.
“Luxembourg, Helsinki and Beyond: Towards an Interpretation of Recent Turkey-EU
Relations.” Government and Opposition 35, no. 4 (2000): 465.
[4] Directorate for EU Affairs. “History of Türkiye- EU
Relations.” Accessed November 14, 2023, https://www.ab.gov.tr/111_en.html.
[5] Directorate
for EU Affairs. “History of Türkiye- EU Relations.” Accessed November 14, 2023,
https://www.ab.gov.tr/111_en.html.
[6] Öniş, Ziya. “Turkey-EU Relations: Beyond the Current
Stalemate.” Insight Turkey 10, no. 4 (2008): 37-38.
[7] Ibid.
[8]
Müftüler-Baç,
Meltem. “Remolding The Turkey-EU Relationship.” Turkish Policy Quarterly
17, no. 1 (2018): 120.
[9] Ibid.
[10] Kaya, Ayhan.
“Right-wing populism and Islamophobism in Europe and their impact on Turkey–EU
relations.” Turkish Studies 21, no.1 (2020): 11.
[11] Saatçioğlu, Beken. “The European Union’s
refugee crisis and rising functionalism in EU-Turkey relations.” Turkish
Studies 21, no.2 (2020): 170-171.
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