Turkey-EU Relations: Beyond the Current Stalemate

Abstract: The prospects for Turkey’s ambitions for full EU membership do not appear to be very bright in the current conjuncture. The 'grand coalition for special partnership' appears to be firmly entrenched. With key chapters for negotiation already suspended what is likely to happen is that the government in power is likely to pursue a loose Europeanization agenda of gradual reforms falling considerably short of deep commitment for full-membership. The paper investigates the underlying reasons for the decline of enthusiasm for EU membership following the golden age of Europeanization and reforms during the early years of the AK Party government. The article also points to domestic and external developments which may help to reverse the current stalemate and, hence, ends with an optimistic note concerning the future of Turkey-EU relations.