Europe's Pragmatic Partnership with Turkey: A Necessary Evil?

European public broadcaster ARTE has released a video examining Turkey’s relationship with the European Union. Despite growing authoritarian tendencies and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s disregard for human rights and the rule of law, Turkey remains a key strategic partner for the EU.

Turkey offers Europe several strategic benefits: help in managing migration flows, mediation in regional conflicts, and a rapidly expanding defense industry. These advantages lead the EU to overlook human rights violations and democratic backsliding within the country.

The video is produced in collaboration with multiple European media outlets, including Spain's El País, Poland's Gazeta Wyborcza, Italy's Internazionale, Greece's Kathimerini, Belgium's Le Soir, Hungary's Telex, Latvia's Ir magazine, the Balkan Insight portal, and Romania's Sinopsis. The project is funded by the EU's European Media Platforms initiative and is available in ten languages.