The Axiology of EU Cultural Diplomacy in Muslim Majority Countries. The Paradox of Turkey. EL-CSID Working Paper Issue 2017/3 • June 2017

摘要

The principal purpose of this theoretical analysis is to identify the different assumptions betweenEurope and Turkey regarding the axiological perspective which distinguishes the valuejudgments used as an instrument of persuasion by each culture. For decades, Turkey’s accessionprocess within the EU is a highly controversial issue which has been an intensive process,brimmed with ups and downs. Due to its geopolitical position and cultural identity, as a Muslimsecular state, Turkey is a cultural bridge between the West and Muslim countries, making it particularlyimportant in cultural diplomacy for EU foreign policy. Nevertheless, the cultural misunderstanding,the misinterpreted perceptions, the axiological nihilism between Turkey and theEU seems to be the sources of tension for Turkey’s accession. The recent official declarationby both sides, which is dialectic rather than a consensus, has also deteriorated the diplomaticties established between them, while also underlining the weaknesses of cultural diplomacy