Turkey, Europe and the economic crisis

Abstract

Based on literature and pamphlets mainly concerning Turkey’s foreign policy, Eu documentation, articles on journalsand working papers published by research centres, press information, the article deals with the perspectives for theaccession negotiations after the crisis. It begins by outlining the current status of Eu-Turkey negotiations and theobstacles preventing its progress. Then it focuses on the wider Middle East after the end of the Iraqi war and at thebeginning of a difficult resumption of the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, and describes the role of regional actorTurkey has played recently. Afterwards it briefly defines the main characters of the present crisis, acknowledgingdifferent expectations the economists have of its duration, and examines the impact it is having on the Eu and onTurkey. At the end the Authors do not try to foresee the final outcome of the negotiations, which have beenscheduled from the beginning to be a long process and as such will be exposed to other contingencies than the crisisoccurring in time. What they aim at doing is to present an overview of the crisis effects on the evaluation the Eu andTurkey can do of the merits or disadvantages of Turkish membership of the Eu, as well as of their determination toachieve this end.Les Auteurs s’interrogent sur les perspectives de la candidature de la Turquie à la membership de l’Ue après la crisefinancière et économique. Après avoir examiné l’état de la négociation et les obstacles qui l’entravent, ils analysent lacondition actuelle de la Turquie soit à l’intérieur du Pays soit par rapport à son milieu régional, faisant remarquer enparticulier les facteurs de division interne qui l’affaiblissent et le dynamisme dans tous les azimuts de sa politiqueétrangère qui le renforce. Par la suite ils évaluent les effets différents de la grande crise sur l’Ue et sur la Turquie,avant de conclure par un bilan des avantages et des inconvénients que l’entrée de la Turquie dans l’Ue apporterait àchacune d’elles dans les contingences du temps présent.KEY WORDS: Eu-Turkey negotiations; Great Middle East; Neo-Ottomanism; Turkish economy; European security.