Turkey-EU Relations: A Breath of Fresh Air from NGOs

"With its 'complex and resilient social structure', Turkey requires a new 'narrative' for the future." Prof. Atila Eralp has published a policy brief on the discussions around "the Future of Europe" which have gained momentum in the current turbulent period, with a special focus on civil society.

Istanbul Policy Center’s policy brief titled “The Future of Europe Debate: Revitalizing Turkey-EU Relations amid the Changing Global Context” penned by Prof. Atila Eralp focuses on the future of the relations between Turkey and EU along the axes of democracy, multilateralism and green transformation. Arguing that Turkey is in need of a new “narrative”, Eralp notes that civil society should contribute to the formulation of such a narrative so as to help forge Turkey’s future and breathe fresh air into the stalled Turkey-EU relations.

Stating that the discussions about the future gain momentum in the international system during turbulent periods, Eralp emphasizes that changes brought about by the pandemic and the worsening socio-economic crisis will constitute the most burning issues in the upcoming period. Eralp argues that international multilateral cooperation will resume following Joe Biden’s victory in the US elections, and that the future of this new multilateralism will be determined by the fight against authoritarian/populist perspectives, as well as China and Russia’s demands to be included in multilateral platforms.

Following these remarks on the global conditions, Eralp focuses on the current situation in the EU, arguing that the pandemic caught the EU and member states unawares. Suggesting that the EU and member states failed to come up with solutions for major issues such as unemployment during the pandemic, Eralp indicates that this has intensified social reaction across Europe, thus strengthening populist tendencies. He argues that Europe is going through multiple crises and states that the pandemic and mounting socio-economic problems threaten the EU’s social legitimacy, as well as the future of integration and multilateralism.

Eralp considers that, owing to these developments, the Conference on the Future of Europe, which began on May 9th, Europe Day is critical since major issues such as the green and digital transformation will be on the agenda.

The Civil Society Must Help Forge Turkey’s ‘New Narrative’!

Eralp considers that the Turkey-EU relations have stalled, as Turkey slips towards the status of “a third country” or neighbor with an increasing number of disagreements with the EU. Within this vicious circle, the authoritarian/populist and unilateral tendencies dominant in Turkey’s national and international policies have isolated the country, thus rendering its “future” problematic. All of this has exhausted the NGOs and citizens in Turkey.

Arguing that in such a context, the Conference on the Future of Europe provides an appropriate platform to rethink EU-Turkey relations and to contribute to the debates about the future, Eralp suggests that NGOs in Turkey should especially keep a close watch on and contribute to these debates.

Claiming that, with its “complex and resilient social structure”, Turkey requires a new “narrative” for the future, Eralp notes that civil society should contribute to the formulation of such a narrative so as to help forge Turkey’s future and to breathe fresh air into the stalled Turkey-EU relations.

In the section titled ‘Suggestions for the Future‘ of his article, Eralp points to the rising importance of green transformation in forging inclusive democracy and multilateral cooperation, and the role that civil society could play in this regard. He states that NGOs have a major role to play in both the ratification of the Paris Agreement and the expansion of the green transformation in the Eastern Mediterranean. Eralp suggests that, thanks to the contributions of the civil society, the Cyprus issue, which currently blocks the EU-Turkey relations, can cede its place to new initiatives based on green transformation policies.

You may access the Policy Brief here.