Strategic Learning, Limited Europeanization: How the Turkish National Police Used Twinning to Prepare Itself for the Planned New Border Agency

Abstract

The fading credibility of Turkey's European Union (EU) membership perspective has undermined the conditionality strategy of the EU. However, outside of the formal setting of the accession talks, twinning projects are considered as a tool to keep Europeanization processes on track. Based on the principle of partnership, these projects aim to induce domestic change via social learning. However, this case study of a twinning project concerning the training of the Turkish National Police reveals interaction characterized by strategic rather than social learning. This was due to the dominance of personal/organizational interests and the negative effects of Turkey's uncertain accession prospects. This suggests that, in the absence of a credible membership perspective, the aim of using twinning as a tool for fostering change via persuasion and socialization may be overambitious.