Vít Beneš and Kristýna Tamchynová are the authors of the Czech country report which is part of a series on the future of EU-Turkey relations. “The Future of EU-Turkey Relations: Mapping Dynamics and Testing Scenarios” (FEUTURE) is a Horizon 2020 project coordinated by Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Wessels, the Director of the Centre for Turkey and European Union Studies at the University of Cologne.
This report focuses on the narratives regarding Turkey in the Czech debate, which is primarily affected by the local and regional developments in the European Union and in the Middle East. With regard to the European context, a connection can be observed between Czech Eurosceptic discourses, the fear of Islam in the wake of the migration crisis and the debate about EU-Turkey relations. As already mentioned, the war in Syria and the migration crisis highlighted the geostrategic relevance of Turkey for the European Union. Yet, the acknowledgement of Turkey’s importance did not lead to a more positive attitude towards Turkey and in fact the opposition to the prospective Turkish membership in the EU has increased.
For reading the full report, please visit the following link.