Few political issues are as contested as Turkey's possible accession to the European Union. Will Ankara be able to meet all the criteria in the long term? In our dossier, sponsored by the Ernst Reuter Initiative, we take a look at political, societal and cultural relations between Turkey and Europe
Interview with Ruprecht Polenz
Chairman of the German Bundestag's Committee on Foreign Affairs, Ruprecht Polenz, argues in favour of Turkish accession to the EU, and grapples with negative western perceptions of the nation, as well as of Islam. He spoke to Eren Güvercin More »
Interview with Turkey's Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu
Turkey's foreign policy has been under the spotlight in recent months, with many Western commentators expressing concern about a perceived swing toward a more Middle Eastern orientation. Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu speaks to Ayşe Karabat about his country's new regional role More »
Turkey's Relations with Syria and Israel
Recent weeks have seen Ankara leave one-time friend Israel out in the cold, while relations with former foe Syria have continued to thaw. Ayşe Karabat explores a possible sea change in Turkey's Middle East foreign policy More »
Coming to Terms with War Crimes in Turkey
In the 1990s the Turkish army killed tens of thousands of Kurds in the dirty war against the PKK. Now these political crimes are coming to light. Details from Istanbul provided by Michael Thumann More »
Interview with Gerhard Schweizer
Sabre-rattling in its foreign affairs and power struggles in its domestic politics are prompting many observers to wonder where exactly Turkey is heading. The cultural historian Gerhard Schweizer, an authority on Turkish society, rejects fears of Islamification in Turkish politics as "out of touch with reality". Christian Horbach spoke to him about how Turkey is developing More »
Turkey-Armenia Relations
Turkey and Armenia decided to establish ties due to a process started for the World Cup qualifying game. But just like in football the process faces risks, even off-side, as Ayşe Karabat reports More »
Turkey and the Ergenekon Secret Network
It is not Islamists or members of the military or the old elite that pose a threat to the Turkish state. Its real enemies operate under cover, as Ahmet Altan, one of the country's most successful authors, explains More »
Turkey's Image in the Arab Countries
Part of the West or leader of the Islamic world? The Arab nations see their neighbour Turkey in various ways. The Jordanian journalist Yousef Alsharif, head of TV station Al Jazeera's Turkey office in Ankara analyses how the perception of Turkey in the neighbouring Arab states has changed More »
Turkey and the Middle East
Turkey has skilfully expanded its influence in the Middle East in recent years. The country could also help the EU advance its interests in the region – thus it is about time Europe finally recognised the possibilities offered by a closer collaboration, says Hüseyin Bagci More »
Turkey and the EU
The European Union will lose credibility with the rest of the world if it doesn't manage to integrate Turkey fully, says Şeyla Benhabib, professor of political philosophy at Yale University More »
Turkey's EU Membership Bid
Proponents of Turkey joining the EU generally point to strategic advantages. However, Turkish membership would bring no tangible benefits because the EU is not yet ready to tackle major security policy challenges, argues Erich Reiter More »
Turkey between the Middle East and the West
Following the end of the Cold War, says Cengiz Çandar, Turkey has found it difficult to change the direction of its foreign policy towards becoming a bridge between the Middle East and the West More »
Turkey between Europe and the Islamic World
The rapprochement of Turkey with the EU could have positive repercussions on European relations with the Arab-Islamic world, says Lebanese expert on Turkish Studies Muhammad Noureddine More »
Turkey's Aramaean Minority
Driven out by economic hardship and discrimination at local and state level in the 1960s and by forced evacuations in the 1990s, Southeastern Turkey's Aramaeans are starting to return home, only to find that their ancestral lands no longer belong to them. Ayse Karabat reports More »
Interview with Ishak Alaton
Ishak Alaton is one of Turkey's most influential businesspeople of Jewish extraction. Hülya Sancak spoke to him in Istanbul about the current political situation in Turkey and minority rights for Jews, Kurds and Armenians in the country More »
The Headscarf Debate in Turkey
One of the biggest promises made by politicians of the current government was to lift the ban on headscarves at universities. Critics regard the attempt to lift the ban a fundamental threat to Turkey's secular state. Ömer Erzeren reports More »
Young Turkish-German Footballers
In their most recent friendly match, the Turkish national team won against Germany, with two goals from the Turkish-Germans Nuri Sahin and Halil Altintop. Has the German football association failed to integrate young talents of Turkish origin? André Tucic looks into the issue More »
New Developments in Turkish Literature
Even before Orhan Pamuk was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature, Turkish literature had already taken a major step towards modernization. Turkish author Feridun Andaç reports with an overview of Turkish literature More »
Interview with Elif Shafak
Elif Shafak's latest novel, "The Bastard of Istanbul", has been tremendously well received in Turkey. However, Shafak is now facing a trial for "denigrating Turkishness" – because of comments made by one of her characters in the novel. Interview by Lewis Gropp More »
Turkish Cinema
Today's modern Turkish film industry - multi-faceted, complex, innovative, is also home to a new wave of directors whose films no longer shy away from the politically or socially sensitive. Amin Farzanefar takes a front-row seat More »
