historically, Turkey is an “other” for Europe. European identity and Turkish identity have been formed through an ambivalent relationship (eloignement vs. proximite). This explains why Turkey’s formal association with the European Union has been a problem — forcing each of the partners to question the meaning of culture and identity. Initially, there seems to be a belief that the prospect of integration would never be reversed. Then, new Turkish social forces took over the commitments vis-à-vis the EU with a view to democratising the country. In fact, until the end of 1990, social forces that were clearly distinct from the elite d’État promoted the idee of integration into the EU. This parallels the experience of a reversal of the same order: when Brussels finally promised to involve Turkey effectively, there was an intense debate on the themes of the European identity and the borders of Europe. The EU seems to have fought for a more constitutional and less cultural representation of Europe’s meaning — implying that its borders could become even more widespread in the future.