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Republic of Turkey and the European Union – Phenomenological Approach to a Half-Century Long Accession Process

The process of Turkish accession to the community of European countries is a controversial issue, lasting a full half- century and representing a unique case in the history of EU negotiations with a country. In fact, Turkey as an associate member of the EU and its predecessors from 1964, applied for membership 23 years later, and was only recognized as a candidate country in 1999. Accession negotiations began in 2005, but Turkey has yet to become a member. The paper focuses on the relationship between Turkey and the EU after accession negotiations began in 2005. Examining issues in their relationship, and the possible impact of its strengthening, the paper’s starting point is the fact that both parties have common interests potentially realized by membership, driven by political, geo-strategic and economic considerations. Joining would give Turkey an opportunity for economic expansion and a stronger foothold in the region, but also open the way for an intensification of democratic changes, and Turkish membership would significantly expand the influence of European values and identity. On the other hand, the major problem is the issue of religion – the acceptance of a non- Christian country with a large population into an alliance of predominantly Christian countries – an issue mostly not mentioned in public. The paper uses descriptive or diagnostic research, and is divided into three main parts, with the authors presenting a variety of potential scenarios for the development of Turkey-EU relations.

Turkey ; EU ; accession process ; negotiations ; membership

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