Turkey and the EU: The Limits of Unconditional Alignment

Turkey and its Western allies had been more effective when they had acted together in dealing with the challenges across the Arab world in 2011. In Turkey’s Black Sea neighborhood, where the EU took more of a lead role than the United States, there was also an opportunity for synergy. However, this potential was limited by the state of Turkey-EU relations. Even while collaborating with the West, Turkey’s leadership had continued to 'otherize' the Western powers, mirroring the shortsightedness of some European politicians. Though Turkish alignment on any given case could hardly be taken for granted, Ankara ultimately did need a pillar of its regional balancing act to rest in the axis of Europe. Turkey and the EU needed to have the full spectrum of maneuvering space to deal more effectively with prospective economic, political, and strategic strains looming in 2012.