EGF Turkey File, May 15 — June 24, 2016

Insights into Turkish Domestic and International Politics

April — May 2016

By John VanPool, EGF Turkey and Black Sea Guest Analyst

Key Points:

• The EU-Turkey visa agreement hangs by a thread, though the sharp decrease in migrant crossings across the Aegean Sea to Greece indicates the success of its initial implementation.

• Turkey loses its most powerful advocate for EU accession to Brexit, with Ankara viewing the debate in Europe about its membership as one based on populism and Islamophobia.

• Combat between security forces and the Kurdish PKK leaves numerous towns across the Turkish southeast reduced to rubble, with little end in sight to the bloodshed.