Turkey and the European Union: Facing New Challenges and Opportunities

Turkey-EU relations are currently in a state of flux. Turkey and the EU have moved apart in their political aspirations after accession talks faced a stalemate due to the Republic of Cyprus' EU accession as a divided island. The EU has been shaken to its very core by the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression and as a result the enlargement of the EU has dropped down the agenda. In contrast Turkey has become an economic powerhouse in an extremely volatile region. The Turkish government has been following a consistent policy of establishing itself as the leader in its region and as a result a significant part of the Turkish population no longer sees EU accession as the only option to secure long-term economic growth and political stability. The book explores the current challenges as well as opportunities facing the Turkey-EU relations, questioning the existing models in light of recent developments. The book is interdisciplinary in nature bringing together perspectives from the disciplines of international relations, political science and law. The book analyses current shifts in the dynamics of Turkey-EU relations in order to surmise what the future of this relationship might hold. The book focuses on four main themes: the effect of the Cyprus conflict; the potential for a structured Turkey-EU cooperation particularly with regard to the Middle Eastern region in the wake of the Arab Spring; the future of democratic reform in Turkey under fading EU influence; and finally, the changing role of Europe in Turkish political discourse as well as the daily lives of Turkish citizens.