'Under destruction'

Although its name has changed over time, the security conference that has been held annually in Munich since 1963 took place this year between February 13-15. Last year's theme of "increasing uncertainty" became "under destruction" this year.

From a transatlantic perspective, this theme quite clearly explains that the relationships struggling to find direction amidst the uncertainty in the global order have turned into a full-blown crisis this year.

Of course, the Munich Security Conference was not only the scene of discussions regarding transatlantic relations. However, the portion of this platform where many global issues are discussed, particularly the US-Europe relations, seems important to us.

When we look at what was discussed, one of the fundamental issues that stood out was the challenge to the international system that the US established in the first half of the 20th century – which was not exactly stellar in practice. Europeans underlined that this order has now come to an end. In this vein, the concept of "European security architecture," which has been very popular recently, points to a policy goal that reflects the equally popular desire to achieve "strategic autonomy." At this point, European politicians reiterated in Munich that Turkey could play a critical role in this new architecture and could be a strategic partner to the EU.

The role that the European security architecture assigns to Turkey actually constitutes another facet of the "transactional" or "functional" relationship style that we have been discussing in the context of Turkey-EU relations since the 2010s. In other words, as German Chancellor Merz also said, "partnership is not an absolute concept here; it does not require a complete overlap of all values and interests." To speak even more plainly, the EU no longer has a value system to "market" to Turkey, which will contribute to European security and serve as a logistical gateway to the east. Or if it does, it does not see the need to put it at the forefront.

Then, two points should be noted. First, the EU assigning a key role to Turkey raises Turkey's "land value" once again. In other words, Turkey is raising its hand in this functional relationship. However, one of the important questions that needs to be asked is this: How can the EU realize its goal of "strategic autonomy," which it has positioned as a reaction to the foreign and security policy of Trump's US, by assigning a key role to a country that currently follows a mostly pro-US policy? Let's see what kind of give-and-take dynamic the desire for a strategic partnership with a more US-aligned Turkey for a more European NATO will signal in Turkish-EU relations... We shall see.

My second important emphasis is on the perspective of many different groups in Turkey towards the EU. Because a large majority in Turkey continues to look at the EU through old paradigms. However, these facts must now be understood quickly: The EU says we do not have to have the same goals/values as strategic partners, meaning there is no insistence on what could be called normative, and membership has not formed the fundamental dynamic of Turkey-EU relations for almost the last 20 years. In this context, thoughts that membership negotiations could be revived if Turkey democratizes or "solves" the Cyprus issue are nothing more than a delusion.

Reading it in reverse, it is also not possible for the EU to refer to membership by putting these issues forward. This also needs to be pointed out to the opposition. Speaking specifically about the main opposition, I do not think that the references made to reviving the membership goal in almost all texts regarding foreign policy, the English social media posts written towards the EU regarding democratic problems in Turkey, or the declaration of the membership goal through the Copenhagen Criteria at international meetings have any value in the eyes of the EU. In short, in national and international systems that are "under destruction," hasn't the time come to say and produce new things? I think it has come and is passing...