Turkey seems to be on a rampage.
An aggressive rhetoric, diplomatic brinkmanship, and threats not only against Europe have made it ever more clear that this country under this leadership cannot become an EU member, and it is putting itself in an outsider role in Nato as well.
There is a problematic referendum calling for constitutional changes. While in normal times, this would not necessarily lead to an international crisis, Turkey presently plays an important role in the regional context, especially in the Syrian crisis, and in moderating flows of refugees.
So what can and should be done? Should Turkey’s neighbors and partners just leave it alone? Or rather, should they attempt to counter its policies?
– Klaus Segbers

As the result of the constitutional Referendum President Recep Tayyip Erdogan claimed his victory, which marks a turning point in the turkish history. The Referendum marks also a new era in the EU-Turkey relations. In the run up to the referendum Erdogan threatened to let millions of Syrian refugees flood into Europe because the EU had failed to fulfil its promise on financial assistance and on visa-free travel. He also reacted angrily to the non-binding resolution of the EU Parliament to suspend EU accession talks with Turkey condemning the repressive measures taken in the aftermath of the failed coup in July 2016. These events mark indeed dramatic steps, which led to a worsening of relations between Turkey and the EU.
Now, as a response to Europe Erdogan froze the process of a political association with the EU, letting everyone know that Turkey is not a “scapegoat”. However, the EU should not burn the bridges with Turkey and instead rethink its strategies toward other powers reflecting the importance of its own values.