Turkey’s ties with the European Union, which go back half a century, have lost their luster for ordinary Turks, as most surveys on the topic show. This is no surprise, since some in Europe have done more than enough to dampen Turkish enthusiasm for EU membership with one excuse or another, including arguments to the effect that Turks are not European and therefore have no place in the union.

The “bicycle,” to use a common analogy with regard to these ties, never fell over since there was just enough pedaling to prevent it. But Ankara’s membership talks, which started in 2005, have nevertheless been moving at a snail’s pace with no end in sight.

Attempts are underway to alter this situation and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is expected in Brussels in January for talks with senior EU officials. 

Under normal circumstances, Erdogan, as prime minister of a candidate country, should have beaten a well-trodden path between Ankara and Brussels. This, however, will be Erdogan’s first visit in nearly four years, and that shows how far back ties have fallen.