Turkiye (Eurotoday) After decades of negotiation, reform, and candidacy since 1999, Turkiye’s path to EU membership has become almost a punchline. What once symbolized a democratic journey toward Europe’s liberal order now stands as a distant memory. Just weeks before the 102nd anniversary of the Republic, Turkiye finds itself torn between the ideals of its founding and the realities of authoritarian drift.
Mustafa Kemal Atatürk’s vision embedded the Republic within a modern political trajectory, grounded primarily in parliamentary democracy. Yet two decades of Justice and Development Party (AKP) rule have eroded that foundation. A government that once marketed itself as a “Muslim democracy” now finds comfort among autocrats. Peaceful dissent is criminalized, the press is silenced, and even the rulings of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) are defied. In a country that once aspired to the Copenhagen criteria, equality before the law survives only as an inscription in the constitution, not a principle in practice.
Turkiye’s democratic backsliding is now structural. The judiciary serves political power, and institutions once modeled after European systems have been emptied of meaning. Opposition figures face prosecution under vague “terror” and “insult” laws, while courts openly ignore binding ECHR judgments. These developments have not only dismantled the separation of powers but also placed Turkiye in open contradiction with the European legal order it once sought to join. Today in Turkiye, a member of parliament remains behind bars despite being duly elected, and two other victims are still imprisoned in defiance of ECHR rulings.
The EU’s Strategic Paralysis: Values vs. Geopolitics
This deepening divergence has exposed a painful paradox for the European Union itself. Brussels finds itself paralyzed between its geopolitical imperatives and its normative commitments. On one hand, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and renewed instability in the Middle East have elevated Turkiye’s strategic importance within NATO. On the other, Ankara’s domestic authoritarianism — intensified by the mass arrests of mayors, the suppression of civil society, and the judicial persecution of the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) — stands in open defiance of the Copenhagen criteria.
The EU’s hesitation, swinging between cautious engagement and moral hesitation, reveals a union torn between defending its foundational values and preserving its geopolitical foothold on the Bosphorus. This paralysis corrodes the EU’s credibility as a normative power and risks sending a dangerous message: that autocracy can be tolerated when it serves strategic convenience.
Ankara’s defiance of European norms — from ignoring ECHR rulings to dismantling judicial independence — directly challenges the EU’s identity as a “normative power.” Still, Brussels hesitates. It fears losing influence over a crucial partner, yet by tolerating autocracy, it erodes its own credibility. The message this sends is corrosive: democracy is optional if you control trade routes or refugee flows.
The EU cannot claim leadership in defending the rule of law abroad while remaining paralyzed before a member of the Council of Europe that openly rejects it. Each act of silence weakens Europe’s moral authority, not just in Ankara.
Comments
10 responses to “Between Geopolitics and Values: The EU’s Strategic Paralysis on Turkey”
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Isn’t it charming how the EU has turned the age-old art of diplomacy into a game of “let’s ignore the obvious” while sipping espresso? A true masterclass in strategic paralysis—who knew values could take a backseat to trade routes? 😂
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Isn’t it charming how the EU’s strategy on Turkey has turned into a geopolitical tango where the music is just a bit off-key? 🎶 At this rate, we might as well send them an invitation for a good ol’ tea party while we figure out if democracy is still on the menu! 🍵
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Nothing like watching the EU play a game of geopolitical Twister while Turkey does a tango with authoritarianism—who knew diplomacy could be this entertaining? 🎭💼
-
You’d think after 24 years of negotiations, Turkey would be sipping espresso at the EU café by now, but instead, it’s stuck waiting outside like a soggy baguette. 🍞 Just goes to show, when it comes to geopolitics, values are just fancy window dressing. 😏
-
Imagine trying to sell ice to an Eskimo while pretending it’s a luxury item. The EU’s dance with Turkey is like a politician at a wedding: all smiles and awkward moves, but no one’s really fooled by the lack of substance. 😏
-
Getting cozy with Turkey while pretending to uphold democratic values is like inviting a fox into the henhouse and calling it a “poultry consultant.” 🍗🤷♂️
-
Seems like the EU’s taking a masterclass in strategic paralysis—who knew indecision could be a competitive sport? 🤷♂️ Meanwhile, Turkey’s playing chess while Brussels is still learning checkers! 🕵️♂️
-
If the EU was a tightrope walker, it’d be in a circus act where the net has mysteriously vanished. 🤹♂️ Perhaps Brussels should consider investing in a good pair of binoculars instead of searching for its values in the geopolitical fog? 🥴
-
Remarkable how the EU manages to juggle values and geopolitics like a clown at a circus—except there’s no laughter, just a lot of awkward silence. 🤡💼 Who needs democracy when you’ve got strategic real estate, eh?
-
Isn’t it delightful how the EU’s moral compass spins faster than a London taxi in rush hour? 🤔 One minute we’re all about democratic values, the next we’re cozying up to a regime that makes a mockery of them—clearly, geopolitics takes priority over principles. Classic! 🥴
-
What a delightful mess we’ve made of this whole Turkey affair, eh? It’s like watching a high-stakes poker game where everyone’s bluffing but the chips are just empty promises. 😂
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Comments
10 responses to “Between Geopolitics and Values: The EU’s Strategic Paralysis on Turkey”
-
Isn’t it charming how the EU has turned the age-old art of diplomacy into a game of “let’s ignore the obvious” while sipping espresso? A true masterclass in strategic paralysis—who knew values could take a backseat to trade routes? 😂
-
Isn’t it charming how the EU’s strategy on Turkey has turned into a geopolitical tango where the music is just a bit off-key? 🎶 At this rate, we might as well send them an invitation for a good ol’ tea party while we figure out if democracy is still on the menu! 🍵
-
Nothing like watching the EU play a game of geopolitical Twister while Turkey does a tango with authoritarianism—who knew diplomacy could be this entertaining? 🎭💼
-
You’d think after 24 years of negotiations, Turkey would be sipping espresso at the EU café by now, but instead, it’s stuck waiting outside like a soggy baguette. 🍞 Just goes to show, when it comes to geopolitics, values are just fancy window dressing. 😏
-
Imagine trying to sell ice to an Eskimo while pretending it’s a luxury item. The EU’s dance with Turkey is like a politician at a wedding: all smiles and awkward moves, but no one’s really fooled by the lack of substance. 😏
-
Getting cozy with Turkey while pretending to uphold democratic values is like inviting a fox into the henhouse and calling it a “poultry consultant.” 🍗🤷♂️
-
Seems like the EU’s taking a masterclass in strategic paralysis—who knew indecision could be a competitive sport? 🤷♂️ Meanwhile, Turkey’s playing chess while Brussels is still learning checkers! 🕵️♂️
-
If the EU was a tightrope walker, it’d be in a circus act where the net has mysteriously vanished. 🤹♂️ Perhaps Brussels should consider investing in a good pair of binoculars instead of searching for its values in the geopolitical fog? 🥴
-
Remarkable how the EU manages to juggle values and geopolitics like a clown at a circus—except there’s no laughter, just a lot of awkward silence. 🤡💼 Who needs democracy when you’ve got strategic real estate, eh?
-
Isn’t it delightful how the EU’s moral compass spins faster than a London taxi in rush hour? 🤔 One minute we’re all about democratic values, the next we’re cozying up to a regime that makes a mockery of them—clearly, geopolitics takes priority over principles. Classic! 🥴
-
What a delightful mess we’ve made of this whole Turkey affair, eh? It’s like watching a high-stakes poker game where everyone’s bluffing but the chips are just empty promises. 😂
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