Turkiye's entry

Turkey’s possible membership in the European Union has long been a matter of contentious debate, involving complicated matters like migration, security, the economy, and political reform. Turkey’s relationship with the EU, rooted in the Association Agreement of 1963, underwent significant developments following its formal candidacy as an EU member in 1999, characterized by both cooperative as well as challenging moments.

Migration Cooperation 

Migration is one more area of cooperation and Turkey has been a crucial partner to the EU in the handling of the migration flows especially after the 2015 refugee crisis. The EU's Facility for Refugees in Turkey was set up in 2016 and has been providing financial assistance to Turkey with the aim of meeting the needs of more than 3.6 million Syrian refugees as being one of the important measures of Turkey in the EU's migration management.

Environmental Challenges

This makes the environmental issue another leading aspect of EU-Turkey relations, in parallel to Turkey's non-compliance with Green Deal targets of the EU, even though the country has been warming up to climate diplomacy with the EU, and its attempts to connect the 2019 Climate Change Action Plan, which should bring Turkey into line with the EU policies, come mainly down to the specific economic character of the country, alongside Turkey's economic dependencies preventing it from completely accepting the economic rules on the Western market.

Security and Counterterrorism

Cooperation in security and counterterrorism is also critical, not only because of Turkey's geographical location between the two regions, but also due to the radical threats that we all face. The EU and Turkey have worked together on counter-terrorism efforts, but political friction has at times put a strain on this relationship, particularly regarding Turkey's operations against Kurdish separatists.

Economic context

On the economic side, Turkey is part of the EUs customs union, but full membership has been held up by human rights, rule of law and political reforms Ankara has failed to implement, and while Turkey's economy remains intricately connected to the EU through trade and investment, observers say that the country's authoritarian slide under President Erdoğan has derailed its EU accession dreams.

Diverging opinions

Many EU countries, particularly in southern and eastern Europe, express support for Turkey’s membership, seeing strategic and economic benefits. However, countries such as France and Germany remain wary, citing concerns over human rights, democratic standards, and the fear of a large influx of migrants. Ultimately, Turkey’s EU accession remains a complicated balancing act, influenced by both internal reforms and external pressures.