Where have recent developments left Turkey in its EU accession process - closer or actually further away from membership? EuroparlTV investigates.

Turkey - the state of play

https://api.multimedia.europarl.europa.eu/documents/20125/12039658/m006-0009-en.srt

A brave new world  on Europe's Eastern border.

Turkey - regional powerhouse, a hub  for energy, tourism and manufacturing.

Some say a Western-leaning country  of moderate Islam,

putting demons like  the era of military rule behind it.

But for others in this nation  of 75 million people

old demons have been replaced  by new ones.

A leaning towards authoritarianism,  suppression of the media,

control of the judiciary - all no-go areas  for the European Parliament,

which in May is debating progress  on accession.

Critics point to anti-government protests

in Gezi Park in Istanbul  and across the country in 2013.

a columnist for one of Turkey's  oldest independent newspapers.

For two months people nurtured  hopes for a freer country.

And for the first time in the last 13 years

young people broke down all the barriers  between the political divisions

to be Kurds, lesbians, gays,  Muslims and secular people all together.

This was a Turkish take on the Arab Spring,

starting as a protest against plans  to bulldoze a popular green space,

morphing into a protest against  the rule of President Tayyip Erdogan.

Like the Arab Spring,  social media played no small part.

It was a bit like a game of hide-and-seek  between cat and mouse,

and for two months  it was the mice that won.

Events in the past two years, says Mine,

now call into question  Turkey's accession process.

whether Turkey has a place  in the European Union, I would say no.

You really mustn't  take Turkey with this regime.

I put some of these criticisms  to Turkey's ambassador to the EU.

and people should not look at  some isolated incidents.

They should look at the big picture -  freedom of speech,

the rights that we've given  to the Kurdish people.

and that we have to make  certain developments, some progress.

But in the end, if we do so,  then we'll be as a member.

What we hear at times is that, even if  we do all that, we won't be members.

In Istanbul, Cumhuriyet  is heavily protected.

They've received threats to their safety  and the economic welfare of the paper

most recently  against a new homeland security law

that would give the police sweeping powers  of arrest, search and detention.

But its editors fear  the EU accession process

I don't think that the EU will accept Turkey

for religious reasons and for reasons  of our different identities.

I believe Turkey will get accession  on a different status,

as Nicolas Sarkozy of France has put it.

Because of all this, Turkish people  are full of resentment towards the EU.

Another problem on Turkey's and Europe's  shoulders is the G word.

The genocide - killing or forced relocation,  depending on your take -

of up to 1.5 million minority Armenians  by the Ottomans in 1915.

Others in Europe, including Pope Francis  and the European Parliament, have.

On the day of the centenary,  Cumhuriyet surprised readers,

splashing the headline  'Huge catastrophe' in Armenian.

It is quite clear that the word genocide  is a big mental block for the people

Into this soup comes the Kurdish question.

President Erdogan has won praise  like none of his predecessors

for launching a peace process  with nationalists.

The EU is recognised  as having pushed the process along,

but, according to Kurdish leaders,  not nearly enough.

The EU has not played the role  that it could have played until now.

the process could have gone  much faster, much more smoothly.

Europe needs Turkey  and Turkey needs Europe, he says,

The Kurdish people are involved  in a life-or-death war

against the most dangerous organisations  like ISIS and al-Qaeda.

They are not a threat,  rather a safety valve, an island of safety,

Back in Brussels, the lead author of the  EP's report on Turkey's progress update

has to pick a balanced pathway  through all of this.

When you see also in terms of media,  if you compare it over a period of 15 years,

Turkey has made  tremendous steps forwards.

If you, though, look over the last year  we see a backlash.

You also see, unfortunately too often still,

interference by politicians into the judiciary.

A slightly different emphasis  from one of the report's co-authors.

Turkey sits in a very key strategic position

and has been a NATO ally  for over 50 years.

We need to ensure that Turkey remains  firmly in the Western democratic camp.

Add to that,  says Turkey's ambassador to the EU,

his country's reception of around  two million mostly Syrian refugees.

But, he adds, the key issue for accession  lies West, not East.

We have to resolve a major issue  which is the Cyprus problem.

If we do that,  then all of the chapters will be open.

Big issues, then, confronting a country in  the throes of transformation and transition.

Everyone expects President Erdogan's  party to win comfortably.

But political changes are afoot  in Turkey's next parliamentary term

and European politicians are hoping they'll  be able to have an influence on those.