Turkey, the EU and the Mediterranean: Perceptions, Policies and Prospects

This paper examines Turkey’s construction of its Mediterranean policy, starting from the period when the country’s foreign policy began to undergo a significant reinvigoration. Employing discourse analysis methods, the study tries to present Turkey’s priorities in key policy areas towards the region, while indicating changes in its position to the region both before and after the Arab uprisings. The analysis also demonstrates that Turkey has been unable to introduce a well-defined and structured Mediterranean policy although it has been able to establish a deeper level of engagement with the region in political, economic and social aspects. Furthermore, the article examines how Turkey’s policies match, contrast or overlap with those of the EU through a case-based approach and puts forward the possible implications for Turkey and the Union.