The Prospects and Meaning of a Strategic EU-Turkey Dialogue on the Neighborhood

Mistrust and missed opportunities characterize one of the most important relationships in the European space — that between Turkey and the European Union. As the Arab Spring unfolds, the absence of a joint EU-Turkey strategy to confront the shared challenges of the neighborhood becomes costlier by the day. From an EU perspective, the logic of cooperation with Turkey has become more compelling given the renewed significance of the Turkish model in the neighborhood. No longer a simplistic and static slogan, the Turkish experience has become a more dynamic and articulate notion that Arab leaders can explore as they grapple with the challenges of domestic change.