Changing Nature of the European Union - Turkey Relations: From Civilizational Project to Transactional Cooperation

Year 2024, , 33 - 54, 22.04.2024

Ebru Oğurlu

https://doi.org/10.26745/ahbvuibfd.1363956

Abstract

Turkey’s ambition to be anchored in the European integration process is one of the oldest and most challenging priorities of its foreign policy. As a symbolic coincidence, the centenary of the Republic of Turkey overlaps with the 60th anniversary of its association relationship with the then European Economic Community (EEC) during when both sides have experienced frequent fluctuations in their bilateral relations. In that sense, the idea of change has always embedded in Turkey-European Union (EU) relations corresponding to much broader changes in Turkey’s foreign policy. This study is aware of the fact that focusing on one side will provide only a partial explanation of variations in the EU-Turkey relations and aims to present the drivers of change in their mutual relations not only by focusing on the actions and inactions of the successive Turkish governments but also by paying attention to the changes in the EU’s and its member states’ policies towards Turkey. This study adopts literature review and tries to answer how Turkey’s EU policy has transformed in the last 60 years by analysing historical turning points in this period and their implications for the ongoing relations. Based on this historical analysis, this study argues that the relationship between the EU and Turkey, which has been becoming increasingly distant from each other, has lost the initial civilisational spirit and turned into a patronage symbolised by ad-hoc transactional agreement/s.

Keywords

Turkey, European Union, Turkish Foreign Policy, Turkey-EU Relations, Transactionalism

Avrupa Birliği - Türkiye İlişkilerinin Değişen Doğası: Bir Medeniyet Projesinden İşlemsel İşbirliğine

Abstract

Türkiye'nin Avrupa entegrasyon sürecinin ayrılmaz bir parçası olma isteği Türk Dış Politikası’nın en eski ve en zorlu önceliklerinden biridir. Sembolik bir tesadüf olarak, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti'nin kuruluşunun yüzüncü yıldönümü (ilk olarak 1957'de Roma Antlaşması ile kurulan ve daha sonra 1967'de Avrupa Topluluğu'na ve 1993'te Avrupa Birliği'ne dönüşen) Avrupa Ekonomik Topluluğu ile kurulan ortaklık ilişkisinin 60. yıldönümüne denk gelmiştir. Türkiye Cumhuriyeti’nin kurulduğu günden itibaren geçirdiği yapısal, kurumsal ve siyasal değişimlere istinaden, değişimin bir fikir ve gerçeklik olarak Türkiye-Avrupa Birliği (AB) ilişkilerinde her zaman için kendini hissettirdiğini söylemek mümkündür. Bu çalışma, Türkiye-AB arasındaki karşılıklı ilişkilerde gözlenen değişimin temel dinamiklerini taraflardan birine odaklanarak açıklamanın kısmi bir açıklama olacağının bilincindedir. Bu gerekçeyle karşılıklı ilişkilerde gözlenen değişimi sadece Türkiye Cumhuriyeti hükümetlerinin eylem ve eylemsizliklerine odaklanarak değil, aynı zamanda AB'nin ve üye devletlerinin Türkiye'ye yönelik politikalarındaki değişiklikleri de dikkate alarak sunmayı amaçlamaktadır. Literatür taraması yoluyla sonuçlandırılan bu çalışma Türkiye’nin AB politikasının son 60 yılda nasıl bir dönüşüm geçirdiğini, bu dönemdeki tarihsel dönüm noktalarını ve bunların süregelen ilişkilere etkilerini analiz ederek cevaplamaya çalışmaktadır. Söz konusu tarihsel analiz, Türkiye-AB arasında ilk günden itibaren Batılılaşma ve modernleşme temaları kapsamında, “bir uygarlık projesi” olarak gelişen ilişkilerin özellikle 2010’ların ikinci yarısından itibaren bu ruhu kaybettiğini ve karşılıklı ilişkilerin geçici olarak, işlemsel temelde gelişen; değer ve ilkelerden yoksun çıkar odaklı işbirliği modeline dönüştüğünü ileri sürmektedir.

Keywords

Türkiye, Avrupa Birliği, Türk Dış Politikası, Türkiye-AB İlişkileri, İşlemselcilik

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