The Syrian refugee crisis and consequences of EU financial aid to Turkey

Abstract

The EU-Turkey relationship is one of the most interesting and complex relationships the EU has with a non-EU member. The differences in religion, culture and overall lifestyle creates a fascinating dynamic. However, it has been prone to several tense moments in its history. Yet, it was due to this unique relationship that led to the topic of this dissertation. Within this dissertation the effects of the Syrian refugee crisis of 2015 on the overall bilateral relations between Turkey and the EU will be analyzed. Special focus will be given to the financial aspect which has become such a high-profile issue area in the last couple of years. These changes and developments in bilateral relations were undertaken by means of several case studies that span the years from 2010 up to the current date. From the analysis of these studies, it became clear that the major effect of the Syrian refugee crisis on these bilateral relations is that for the dependency on its economic soft power might lead the EU into critical condition in the future. This work shows that the socio-political crisis that the refugee flows caused in Europe have led the negotiations between Turkey and the EU to be in favor of the former; which has never happened before. The lack of military organization and a shared asylum policy will lead the EU to become increasingly internally divided and an easier target to other foreign powers if no unified EU action is taken in the near future.