Turkey is singled out as the country with the longest history of accession among the candidate countries for the EU membership. The background of relations and the advantages and disadvantages of potential Turkish membership to the EU have been discussed from various perspectives. This study aims to contribute to this debate by a critical assessment of the New EU Strategy of Turkey launched by the end of 2014 that draws the roadmap of accession negotiations until 2020. The analysis of recent relations reveals that in the areas, where EU conditionality is high, Turkey has taken more concrete steps towards harmonization and current stalemate of relations depends on approach of the EU to Turkish membership, as well as the political preferences of Turkish ruling elite.

Turkey is singled out as the country with the longest history of accession among the candidate countries for the EU membership. The background of relations and the advantages and disadvantages of potential Turkish membership to the EU have been discussed from various perspectives. This study aims to contribute to this debate by a critical assessment of the New EU Strategy of Turkey launched by the end of 2014 that draws the roadmap of accession negotiations until 2020. The analysis of recent relations reveals that in the areas, where EU conditionality is high, Turkey has taken more concrete steps towards harmonization and current stalemate of relations depends on approach of the EU to Turkish membership, as well as the political preferences of Turkish ruling elite.