This Diplomacy Dialogue policy paper argues that in the coming period, the chances of Turkish accession process moving on smoothly will be greater if Turkey can continue managing its recent economic recovery and turning it into sustainable growth over the next decade. This will eliminate or at least reduce the deep-rooted concerns on the side of the EU about accession being too costly and too destabilizing in economic and social terms. An effective and targeted deployment of economic diplomacy in this context by the Turkish government, private sector and civil society, as well as international organizations in which Turkey is a member will be of great help in allaying fears in the EU that this 73-million nation will join the faltering club as an asset and not as a liability.
