Summary: Since the Arab Springdawned, Turkey’s potential value as an inspiration for and facilitator of reform in the Middle East and North Africa has been a heated topic of discussion. Turkish civil society — which has played an important role in T urkey’s transformation — may be able to play a more consistent and active role than ofcial Ankara in helping neighbors along the long-term path ofbuilding a culture of de mocracy. For this to materialize, there is a need for synergy between Turkish and European counterparts, as well as an informed demand from Turkey’s respective neighbors. The continuation of Turkey’s Europeanization journey will also be important for T urkey’s far-reaching contribution to positive change in the joint neighborhood of Turkey and the EU. Analysis Since the Arab Spring dawned, urkey’s potential value as an inspira- tion or and acilitator oreorm in the Middle East and North Arica has been a heated topic odiscussion. Critics have been concerned that this debate would both work against urkey’s EU integration by distracting intellectual and political attention and complicate domestic political dynamics through overemphasis on urkey’s Muslim identity — in e ssence making urkeymoreMiddle Eastern rather than spreading reorm and open so ciety. Tough urkey’s intensied engage- ment in the MENA region is inevi- table, the shape ourkey’ s inuence is not predetermined. Te concentration othe debate should already be on how to make urkey’s inuence a positive one, while mitigating potential risks. Recalling the signicant role that inter- action between urkish and European civil so ciety played in driving urkey’ s positive change raises the question owhether urkey’ s civil society develop- ment and related institutional transi- tion experiences are transposable to the EU’s southern neighborhood. Looking more closely at the concrete example ourkey’ s expe riences in adapting European approaches to women’s rights can shed light on the easibility othis notion. Europe’s Neighborhood: Can Turkey Inspire? by Diba Nigar Göksel May 5, 2011 Washington, DC • Berlin • Paris • Brussels Belgrade • Ankara • Bucharest Off C Given vested interests and strategic limitations, urkey’s ocial approach to democratization in the region is expected to involve contradictions and may on occasion strain relations with the West ern alliance as well as with counterparts in the neighbor- hood. Ankara’s diplomatic eorts to counsel democratic reorm in the region (with an initiative ongoing in Syria currently) have so ar yielded little or no results. In contrast, urkish civil society may be able to play a more consistent and active role in assisting neighbors who venture on the long- term endeavor obuilding a culture odemocracy. For this to materialize, there is a need or synergy between urkish and European counterparts, as well as an inormed de mand rom urkey’s respective neighbors. Te continuation ourkey’s Europeaniza- tion journey will also be important or urkey’s ar-reaching contribution to positive change among its neighbors. Turkey’s Not-so-Unique Formula Te reedoms and opportunities enjoyed in urk ey that set it apart in Europe’s neighborhood have largelybeen a unction ourkey’s European- ization. Over recent de cades, Wes tern literature and interaction with Euro- pean counterparts played an important Analysis
