Beyond its economic and political dimensions, Türkiye's long pursuit of European Union membership has exacted a psychological price that analysts are only now openly acknowledging, according to a column published in Radikal.
Public opinion surveys from both sides reveal a cooling of mutual sympathy between Türkiye and EU member states. That shift matters, the column argues, because the desire to belong to a prestigious and successful group is a powerful human motivator, one that applies to nations as much as to individuals.
Türkiye entered the current century with genuine enthusiasm about EU accession, but that optimism has steadily eroded. Repeated signals of rejection do not merely disappoint; they wound national pride. The column raises a pointed question: how many times can a country be told it does not fit before it stops trying to join?
Columnist Haluk Sahin warns that the cycle of raised hopes followed by rebuff can ultimately produce hostility rather than partnership. He calls on Europeans who value Türkiye's ties to the continent, and on Turks who still see value in the European project, to reckon seriously with this mounting psychological cost before the relationship deteriorates further.
Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this wire report, first published in October 2006, in its own words.