Atila Eralp, Multilateralism Matters: Toward a Rules-Based Turkey-EU Relationship, Istanbul Policy Center, May 2019
This policy brief examines the current stalemate in the Turkey-EU relationship and proposes that the relationship should be analyzed through a global lens, not a bilateral one. It examines the paradigmatic shift toward multilateralism globally and in Europe and shows how multilateralism matters for the EU against the current global turbulence. In fostering multilateralism in this context, the EU needs to be more inclusive and should further cultivate its partnerships with outside actors such as Turkey. Based on this analysis, the policy brief proposes that the EU’s relationship with Turkey should not only be based on transactionalism but should also include rules-based frameworks such as the upgrading of the Customs Union.
The upgrading of the Customs Union is important not only in revitalizing the economic dimension of the Turkey-EU relationship but also for the inclusion of Turkey in the rules-based multilateral system. The paper concludes by examining the future of the relationship and proposing policy recommendations. This policy brief is a revised version of the author’s presentation at a roundtable discussion in the conference “Britain, Turkey and the EU: Mapping the Future of Differentiated Integration,” organized by the Centre for European Reform, Istanbul Policy Center (IPC), and the Economic Development Foundation (İKV) in London.
Read the full publication here.
