The Changing Turkey-EU Relationship Between An Accession Process In Crisis And The Migration Emergency

Relations between Turkey and the European Union have been going on with ups and downs for a long time. The negotiations, which came to a standstill from time to time, showed movement due to the reforms made and Turkey’s efforts to become a member of the Union. This thesis examines the political and social facts that accelerate and slow down the process. The changing balances and developments in Turkey’s domestic politics are being carefully evaluated by the European Union. Factors such as Gezi Park Protests and the coup attempt in Turkey affected relations with the EU as well as Turkey’s domestic atmosphere. The chaotic environment created by the revolts in the Middle East, which coincided with these periods, caused people to migrate to neighboring countries and other countries with high welfare levels. At this point, Turkey, which hosts the largest number of immigrants from the Middle East, has a significant role. However, the goals of the immigrants to reach Europe are followed with concern by the EU. While this concern led Europe to seek solutions, it found Turkey in the face of it. In addition to the relationship arising from Turkey's desire to be a member state of the EU, the cooperation to be made on refugees has brought Turkey and the EU to the same table. While cooperation with refugees still remains important, it has been decided to keep the negotiations with Turkey suspended in 2021. However, in this case, another point to be examined is the changing strategy of the Turkish government's foreign policy.