Turkey and EU drifting apart, says Independent Turkish Commission

Rather than drawing closer together, the EU and Turkey are drifting apart due to growing authoritarianism in the latter, stuttering growth, and a faltering Kurdish peace process, non-governmental organization the Independent Turkish Commission warned on March 17.

Turkey is no longer "the rising regional star" that it was during the first half of then-Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdo?an's 12 years in office, stated the Commission, which is led by Martti Ahtisaari, a former president of Finland and Nobel Peace Prize laureate.

"Today, Turkey faces myriad challenges: Growing authoritarianism, unimpressive growth, and a faltering Kurdish peace process," the Commission said in an open letter addressed to the Turkish government and the EU.

"With a 900-kilometer border with Syria, it is hosting nearly two million Syrian refugees and is vulnerable to attacks and infiltration by the Islamic State [of Iraq and the Levant, ISIL]. Tensions with both Iran and Israel have become deeply entrenched, and the country has become increasingly dependent on energy from a revanchist Russia," it stated.

"Turkey cannot confront these challenges alone," the Commission added, pointing to the fact that the EU accounts for almost 40 percent of Turkish trade, 70 percent of its foreign direct investment, and more than 50 percent of its tourism industry. "The country's economic ties with its southern neighbors have spiraled downward since the Arab Spring in 2011," it said.

"This reality is reflected in Turkish public opinion, with support for the EU rising from a low of 34 percent in 2009 to 53 percent last year. Simply put, Turkey is waking up to the reality that it has no attractive alternative to the EU and close cooperation with the transatlantic...