They were only an ally to the West because we (NATO during the Cold War) needed them throughout the Cold War and for our aerial policing of Iraq in the 1990s. Now we don't need them for either, and both the Turks and the West know it. Currently they have absolutely no leverage for gaining acceptance into the EU other than Euro PCness, which probably isn't enough to get them in.
Western acceptance of Turkey as an equal has been a goal of the Turks since shortly after WWI. The inability for the pro Western Turkish factions to execute on that for 80+ years has more or less killed the desire for Western integration IMO.
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