Turkey and the European Union: a difficult but critical relationship

• Autores: Manuel de la Cámara Hermoso
• Localización: Notes internacionals CIDOB, ISSN-e 2013-4428, Nº. 256, 2021, págs. 1-8
• Idioma: inglés
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• Resumen

  • Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s blatant act of disrespect towards EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen during a summit in Ankara on April 7th, 2021 (popularly known as “sofagate”) is a recent example of the complex and difficult relationship between Turkey and the EU.

    For many years Turkey has been knocking at the EU’s door but, time and again, the obstacles to accession have been too great, and many Turks believe that they will never ultimately be able to join.

    The AKP’s rise to power and President Erdoğan’s increasingly authoritarian leanings, combined with his ambitious foreign policy, mean that Turkey and the EU seem to be drifting apart. But the strategic importance of this relationship forces them to find paths for dialogue and cooperation.