The EU-Turkey Deal Is Based on a Fundamental Misunderstanding: Implications for Future Cooperation and Ways to Improve Communication
The EU-Turkey Deal Is Based on a Fundamental Misunderstanding: Implications for Future Cooperation and Ways to Improve Communication

Summary/Abstract: March 2023 marks seven years since the EU-Turkey Statement of 18 March 2016. Before, Germany and other EU Member States experienced what had been dubbed the “Syrian refugee crisis”. For many in Europe, the mantra since then has been “Never again 2015”. This reduction of the global Syrian refugee crisis to the events in Europe in 2015 is part of a fundamental misunderstanding between Turkey and the EU that has triggered recurring diplomatic conflict around the statement. This misunderstanding lies in the different meaning the statement had for Turkey and the EU, respectively. For the EU, the statement was about keeping irregular migration at bay, whereas for Turkey, the statement signified a new joint effort to align Turkey more with the EU. A potential update of the statement should therefore ensure agreement not only on the terms but also on the purpose of a Statement 2.0.

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