Identity representations in the narratives on the EU-Turkey relations

This study aims to situate contemporary debates on the EU-Turkey relations in a broader historical context. It argues that understanding from where current narratives come and identifying their constituents, and particularly the narrators’ mutual perceptions on each other, which have endured through decades or even centuries, contributes to a deeper understanding of the relationship in critical ways. The paper is based on the results of two historically oriented studies carried out within the framework of the FEUTURE project -a narrative analysis as well as an analysis of identity representations since the 19thcentury- both of which adopted a comparative approach by analysing European and Turkish sources. Among others, the paper asserts that the EU and Turkey, both historically and in the present, have been important for each other in their identity construction. It argues that one of the most defining characteristics of the narratives and identities over time is their changing nature. The paper finds that narratives and identity construction processes also intertwined also with drivers at different levels, by the respective historical and political context. From a contemporary perspective, it finds that narratives on both sides have become more conflictual and that relations are likely to be dominated by conflictual elements also in the nearer future. This is, however, coupled with a constantly present conviction of the importance of Turkey for Europe and vice versa.FEUTURE projesi kapsamında tamamlanan iki ayrı nitel araştırmayı sentezleyen bu çalışma, Avrupa Birliği-Türkiye ilişkilerine dair güncel tartışmaları geniş bir çerçevede ve tarihsel bağlamda ele almayı amaçlamaktadır. Çalışma, günümüz siyasi anlatılarının ve bu anlatıların geçmişi onlarca yıla dayanan bileşenlerinin -örneğin aktörlerin kendilerine ve birbirine ilişkin müşterek algılarının- araştırılmasının, söz konusu ilişkilerin bütünüyle anlaşılabilmesi için kritik öneme sahip olduğunu ileri sürmektedir. Bu kapsamda yararlanılan araştırmalardan ilki, Türkiye’den ve Avrupa Birliği’nden siyasi aktörlerin ilişkilerin resmi olarak başladığı 1959 yılından günümüze baskın anlatılarını resmi belgelere dayanan geniş bir veri setiyle ve nitel veri analizi (Qualitative Data Analysis, QDA) yöntemiyle inceleyen anlatı analizidir (Narrative Analysis). Bunun yanı sıra, çalışmada, Türkiye’den ve Avrupa’dan çeşitli aktörlerin birbirlerine ilişkin kimlik ve kültür algılarını 18. Yüzyıl sonlarından başlayarak ve ele alınan dönemin siyasi ve kültürel faktörlerine binaen irdeleyen üç bütünleyici söylev analizine (Discourse Analysis) yer verilmektedir. Bu çalışmada bir araya getirilen farklı ancak birbirini tamamlayan iki veri seti, yöntem ve sorunsal, AB-Türkiye ilişkilerindeki örüntülere siyasi anlatılar ve kimlik tasvirleri yönünden ışık tutabilecek, kapsamlı ve ender bir araştırma zemini sağlamaktadır. Çalışma kapsamında varılan temel sonuç, anlatıların her iki tarafta da giderek daha çelişkili hale geldiği ve ilişkilerin yakın gelecekte de 'çatışma' hâkimiyetinde sürmesinin olası olduğudur. Bununla birlikte, tarafların karşılıklı olarak birbirlerine atfettikleri önem ve karşılıklı dayanışmaya yaptıkları vurgu yine yakın gelecekte ilişkilerde belli bir ölçü dahilinde 'işbirliği' olacağına işaret etmektedir

FEUTURE Online Paper No. 28

This paper outlines how narratives on European Union (EU)-Turkey relations changed over time since the 1960s and until the present. Applying a narrative approach, the paper aims to deconstruct a debate, which has been characterized by a plurality or even cacophony of stories by different actors. It presents the most influential narratives of EU institutions and Turkish political actors and traces their change over time as well as the dynamics between them. Based on a qualitative coding of a vast set of official documents from EU and Turkey (ca. 280 documents), it draws the following main conclusions: Different in nature: Turkish and European narratives vary considerably in their nature. Turkish narratives all share the same goal of full membership, while they have changing plots and different lines of argumentation. EU narratives differ both in their plot and in terms of the “finalité” of EU-Turkey relations. Progressively divergent: Since the 1960s, the number of narratives in Turkey and the EU has gradually increased and the debates have become more divergent. Growingly conflictual: While the study confirms that conflictual rhetoric is rather a recurring pattern and not new to the debates on EU-Turkey relations, the level of escalation on both sides in the last years has been considerably higher. Overall, the research draws the conclusion that currently there is a combination of conflictual elements as well as arguments emphasizing the importance to cooperate with each other. Hence, the study’s results are in line with the main conclusion drawn by the FEUTURE project, namely, that the most likely scenario for the future is “conflictual cooperation”European Commission: FEUTURE - The Future of EU-Turkey Relations. Mapping Dynamics and Testing Scenarios (692976

Reduced Cancer Incidence in Huntington's Disease: Analysis in the Registry Study

Background: People with Huntington's disease (HD) have been observed to have lower rates of cancers. Objective: To investigate the relationship between age of onset of HD, CAG repeat length, and cancer diagnosis. Methods: Data were obtained from the European Huntington's disease network REGISTRY study for 6540 subjects. Population cancer incidence was ascertained from the GLOBOCAN database to obtain standardised incidence ratios of cancers in the REGISTRY subjects. Results: 173/6528 HD REGISTRY subjects had had a cancer diagnosis. The age-standardised incidence rate of all cancers in the REGISTRY HD population was 0.26 (CI 0.22-0.30). Individual cancers showed a lower age-standardised incidence rate compared with the control population with prostate and colorectal cancers showing the lowest rates. There was no effect of CAG length on the likelihood of cancer, but a cancer diagnosis within the last year was associated with a greatly increased rate of HD onset (Hazard Ratio 18.94, p < 0.001). Conclusions: Cancer is less common than expected in the HD population, confirming previous reports. However, this does not appear to be related to CAG length in HTT. A recent diagnosis of cancer increases the risk of HD onset at any age, likely due to increased investigation following a cancer diagnosis

Clinical and genetic characteristics of late-onset Huntington's disease

Background: The frequency of late-onset Huntington's disease (&gt;59 years) is assumed to be low and the clinical course milder. However, previous literature on late-onset disease is scarce and inconclusive. Objective: Our aim is to study clinical characteristics of late-onset compared to common-onset HD patients in a large cohort of HD patients from the Registry database. Methods: Participants with late- and common-onset (30–50 years)were compared for first clinical symptoms, disease progression, CAG repeat size and family history. Participants with a missing CAG repeat size, a repeat size of ≤35 or a UHDRS motor score of ≤5 were excluded. Results: Of 6007 eligible participants, 687 had late-onset (11.4%) and 3216 (53.5%) common-onset HD. Late-onset (n = 577) had significantly more gait and balance problems as first symptom compared to common-onset (n = 2408) (P &lt;.001). Overall motor and cognitive performance (P &lt;.001) were worse, however only disease motor progression was slower (coefficient, −0.58; SE 0.16; P &lt;.001) compared to the common-onset group. Repeat size was significantly lower in the late-onset (n = 40.8; SD 1.6) compared to common-onset (n = 44.4; SD 2.8) (P &lt;.001). Fewer late-onset patients (n = 451) had a positive family history compared to common-onset (n = 2940) (P &lt;.001). Conclusions: Late-onset patients present more frequently with gait and balance problems as first symptom, and disease progression is not milder compared to common-onset HD patients apart from motor progression. The family history is likely to be negative, which might make diagnosing HD more difficult in this population. However, the balance and gait problems might be helpful in diagnosing HD in elderly patients