Beyond Enlargement? European Skepticism, Turkish Cynicism, and the Uncertain Future of EU-Turkey Relations

The uncertain evolution of EU-Turkey relations had seen a potentially critical development in recent years: a new Turkish cynicism had been added to the more traditional skepticism of European elites and publics. The accession process, already stalling because of the unsolved Cyprus issue and the French unilateral veto on several chapters of negotiations, also risked losing all its remaining steam because, as openly admitted by an ever larger number of Turks themselves, Turkey no longer saw European integration as a destiny, but at best as an option whose viability and value had to be both verified.