Turkey and the EU: A play in search of a script

EuropEos Commentary, No. 5, 28 September 2010, 4 p.

Riccardo Perissich *

This Commentary warns that by continuing to act as if Turkey’s membership of the EU was still a credible prospect, the EU is dodging the critical issue of how to establish friendly and constructive relations with an independent, self-confident Turkey. More importantly, this approach prevents the EU from at last accepting that enlargement is not the only – nor necessarily the best – policy option available to deal effectively with a strategically important country on its borders.

* Riccardo Perissich is Executive Vice-President of the Council for the United States and Italy and former Director General for the Internal Market and Industry in the European Commission. 

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