ISTANBUL — The Turks are increasingly hubristic, and not just in the Middle East. Having seen their total G.D.P. more than double in the past decade, many Turks do not feel that they need the European Union anymore. Turkey’s economy is growing much faster than the European average, so the argument goes, why beg to be part of Europe’s anemic Union?

Conversely, many Europeans are increasingly antagonistic toward Turkey’s ongoing bid for European Union membership. Following the huge protests in Istanbul’s Taksim Square last summer, in which millions took to the streets, only to be overpowered by the police, many have argued that Turkey is not a democracy and the Union does not need it. Both are wrong.

For Turkey to continue its rise as both a regional power and a global player, it must re-embrace the European Union’s liberal democratic values as accession negotiations resume. A Turkey that is a shallow democracy will neither be welcome in Europe, nor can it serve as a role model for Arab countries.

And the European Union can help. Indeed, the hope of becoming a Union member has been the key driver of Turkey’s democratization process for decades; the prospect of membership has provided an incentive for major democratic reforms. For instance, the European Union’s 1999 promise to open accession talks with Turkey if it fulfilled the Union’s political expectations led to the elimination of capital punishment and torture across the country.