"From Ankara to Brussels, Transit via Nicosia
by
Michális S. Michael
Turkey’s most prominent poet Nâzım Hikmet (Ran) likened Turkey to a horse with its head in Europe and its body in Asia galloping westwards.
There is no doubt that Turkey is going through its most crucial historical phase since its establishment – and central to this transformation is its placement in Europe. Turkey’s relationship with Europe has always been problematic, fraught with cultural complexities, misunderstandings and security considerations, some of which date to the Ottoman period. In Europe, a certain ambivalence prevails towards Turkey’s EU candidature, dividing its members between those who do not consider Turkey as a European country and those who value Turkey as a bridge towards the adjoining Central Asia/Caucasus and the Middle East regions."
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