Istanbul is the main hub in order to approach the eastern-western studies, as a direct consequence of its singular combination of geographical, ethnical, cultural and political situations.
The process of Turkey’s accession to the EU represents one of the most thorny issues and irresolvable challenges of the nation. Ending the accession negotiations would not solve the existing problems, but it would risk further alienating Turkey from the West and leading to more confrontation. It would be less risky for the EU to keep the accession process alive, at least until the next Turkish elections in 2023, when there could be a change of government.
