Lords of the ring: Turkey, the UK and post-crisis CFSP

Lords of the ring: Turkey, the UK and post-crisis CFSP, Center for Economics and Foreign Policy Studies (EDAM)

Adam Balcer, Lords of the ring: Turkey, the UK and post-crisis CFSP, EDAM Discussion Paper 2013/5

The UK and Turkey can be called “lords of the ring” – they are important stakeholders in the external world simultaneously located on the institutional and geographical outskirts of Europe.

The attachment of the UK and Turkey to sovereignty makes their accommodation in the EU institutional framework a substantial challenge, though it is not mission impossible. Despite a certain divergence of their foreign policies, Turkey and the UK share long-term strategic goals and an awareness of a similar position versus the euro zone. Although, a fundamental difference currently exists between them, namely the UK is a member of the EU and Turkey is a candidate state, their bilateral cooperation is on the rise and it can be described as the emergence of a strategic partnership.