In this episode of the European Dialogue, brought to you by the EU-VALUES Network, we welcome Prof. Meltem Müftüler-Baç, expert on Turkey-EU relations and external differentiated integration.

Drawing from her recent paper, “A Fragile Relationship: Turkey and the European Union Moving Beyond Membership with External Differentiated Integration” (2025), Meltem unpacks the nuanced and often tense dynamics shaping Turkey’s unique relationship with the EU beyond the traditional membership framework.

We explore key topics such as:
✅ What “external differentiated integration” is, and what it means for Turkey and the EU
✅ How Turkey’s selective adoption of EU rules challenges European values like democracy and the rule of law
✅ The EU’s approach to encouraging political reform in Turkey, and Ankara’s response
✅ The role of economic and trade ties in sustaining the relationship despite political deadlock
✅ How Turkey’s ties with the EU compare to other non-member European countries
✅ The prospects and pitfalls of this model as a long-term solution for Turkey-EU relations

🎧 Listen now on Spotify, YouTube, or SoundCloud! Leave us a comment and let us know what you thought of this episode - we would love to hear from you

📚 And to read more...: 
Muftuler Bac, M. (2024). A fragile relationship: Turkey and the European Union moving beyond membership with external differentiated integration. West European Politics: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/01402382.2024.2442870

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A Fragile Partnership: Rethinking Turkey-EU Relations with Prof. Meltem Müftüler-Baç

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A Fragile Partnership: Rethinking Turkey-EU Relations with Prof. Meltem Müftüler-Baç

The European Dialogue by The EU-VALUES Network