Turkey as a Neighbour

Enlargement has been the dominant, but by no means the only, lens through which Turkey has been debated in Europe, particularly over the last two decades. Regardless of whether Turkey enters the EU, it has been and will continue to be a crucially important neighbour of the EU and its member states. This chapter reviews the key and multifaceted role of Turkey as an EU neighbour, notably as a result of its relations with the Balkans, the Caucasus, the Eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East. The chapter then moves on to discuss how Turkey’s regional role is perceived and debated by EU institutions and member states.