At the End of the Day, Where Will Turkey Stand?

The crisis in Turkey’s relations with the US and the EU cannot be understood without reference to the redistribution of power at the global level. In an age when the US under the Trump presidency abdicates some of its responsibilities as the predominant power of the Western alliance and the custodian of the liberal system, regional powers seek more room for manoeuvre in their vicinity. The EU is also trying to adjust to a smaller US presence in Europe. The crisis in Turkey–EU relations in this context reflects both the lack of enthusiasm in Berlin, Paris and elsewhere to engage Turkey and Ankara’s steps in shedding Turkey’s Western-ness in terms of its political and ideological identity.