Turkey as a Special and (Almost) Dead Case of EU Enlargement Policy

Abstract

This chapter analyzes the relationship between the EU and Turkey from the perspective of the EU’s enlargement policy. It sets out to explain the extent to which Turkey represents a special and difficult case for EU enlargement policy and addresses the following aspects of the relationship. First, the overall concepts, motives, and criteria of EU enlargement are introduced. The second section deals with critical questions that Turkey poses for the EU in this respect. The third section outlines how specific features of the EU–Turkey relationship have played out from the onset and during accession negotiations. While no full or detailed account of the history of relations is given, the focus is on those issues that make Turkey a special and (almost) dead case of EU enlargement policy. Finally, a brief outlook on the future of bilateral relations is presented which shows the persistent ambivalences that characterize Brussels’ relationship with Ankara.