A ‘different’ Turkey at the upcoming EU summit?

The 24-25 June European Council meeting will once again shift its focus to Turkey and to establishing a so-called "positive agenda" (though the discussion will not likely be exhausted).

This time Ankara's posture will be somewhat different than it was at the summit last March, when the issue of Turkey was last discussed, or last October when the EU announced its "positive agenda" designed to prod Turkey to change it behaviour.

There is also a different geopolitical environment after the restoration of the relationship with the US following US President Joe Biden's trip to Europe and the NATO summit in Brussels.

In December, 2020, the European Council meeting stressed the need to coordinate the EU's positions with the US as regards Turkey.

It appears that the desired coordination has been achieved. The communique issued at the EU-US summit notes that both sides look forward to a mutually beneficial cooperation with a democratic Turkey.

This sybillic reference to "a democratic Turkey" leaves room for interpretation, as columnist Michalis Mitsos wrote in Ta Nea on 17 June).

Judging by the Erdogan-Biden talks, however, the US appears prepared to reach a modus vivendi with today's Turkey.

For its part, the EU is pushing "in a gradual manner" its positive agenda (updating of the Customs Union, etc.) aiming, intera alia, at speeding up changes Ankara must undertake on many levels (rule of law, respect for international law, etc.).

Brussels notes with interest that Turkey's cycle of neo-Ottoman overstretch appears to be coming to an end for various reasons.

Firstly, that is because Joe Biden's presence in the White House has radically changed geopolitical conditions.

Secondly, Ankara's over...