> Following turbulent years in European Union-Turkey
relations, the June 2018 elections in Turkey and the
prospective appointment of a new European Commission following the 2019 European Parliament
elections provide a window of opportunity to take
stock of the deadlock in Turkey’s EU bid.
> Incoming European leaders should engage in a profound rethinking of EU-Turkey relations, beyond the
accession perspective.
> Concretely, the incoming Commission and especially
High Representative should push for a renewal of EU
strategic engagement with Turkey to ensure ‘togetherness’ in addressing changing geopolitical, economic
and security equilibria. This engagement should rely
on a four-pillar, multidimensional approach:
> Amid growing economic instability in Turkey, we
suggest advancing towards an updated Customs
Union, while seizing on Turkey’s potential as a
central hub in the Southern Energy Corridor.
> This strong economic asset could leverage further
EU engagement on human rights, rule of law and
democracy and enable the Union to adopt innovative measures in support of Turkish civil society.
> International developments have positioned Turkey as a crucial, albeit ambivalent, foreign policy
partner, especially in the Middle East. For this reason, the EU should promote active foreign policy
coordination and cooperation with Turkey.
> Migration has been a rare, yet sensitive area of
cooperation. In this domain, emphasis should be
placed on enhancing the implementation of the
2016 EU-Turkey Statement
