Die Türkei auf der Agenda des Europäischen Rates: Beitrittsperspektiven, Interessen und Konflikte

Abstract

Relations between the European Union (EU) and Turkey have been highly topical in recent years. Growing hostilities, political turmoil and verbal skirmishes have kept this partnership in the limelight and aroused heated discussions in academic, political and public debate. Turkey’s backsliding democracy and shift towards a more assertive foreign policy in Syria, Libya and the Eastern Mediterranean have largely contributed to the EU’s perception that ‘Turkey is increasingly moving away from the Union’. Yet, Turkey is still an accession candidate country and remains a ‘key partner for the EU’ in a number of policy areas - such as migration, trade and security cooperation as part of the NATO partnership. Aiming to shed light on this contradicting framework of EU-Turkey relations, this chapter studies European Council conclusions since the 1970s, focussing on narratives about Turkey generated by the EU leaders - the Heads of State or Government of the member states. The analysis examines Turkey in its roles as a candidate country, as a transactional partner and as a problematic neighbour from an EU perspective.