New Juncture in EU-Turkey Relations?

With the issuing of the EU Commission’s Progress Report on Turkey, it would appear that there is fresh impetus for EU-Turkey relations to be placed on an improved footing after their decline in recent years. The EU affirms its support to the AKP’s political vision even if it adopts a more critical tone concerning its delivery of public policies. It is unlikely, however, that the clock can be turned back to 2005 when relations reached an historic high. While encouraging, recent developments should be tempered by more realistic expectations that enthusiasm for the Europeanization process in Turkey has waned and that there is still no clear prospect of membership in sight.