Turkey and Europe, a New Perspective

For those who still view Turkey in Europe as producing (i) important mutual benefits in terms of a much stronger joint influence on world affairs, (ii) a larger zone of peace and stable democracy with the powerful "example" of a large majority Muslim country inside that zone, projecting ideas and economic strength far into the Middle East, Africa and Central Asia, (iii) an even larger single market encompassing a dynamic economy with stronger positive spillover effects on the troubled southern European economies, and, (iv) potentially deeper cooperation on defence and security issues, it is now time to make a new start. The economic basis for successful Turkish membership in the EU has developed very significantly over the last decade. It is now time for politics to catch up with economics, exactly when Europe as a whole is searching to define its own future. If the EU countries and Turkey have the courage to join forces in this search and build a common future within very flexible European institutions, a great historic opportunity will have been seized.

Paper produced within the framework of the project Turkey, Europe and the World. Publ. in IAI Research Paper 9.