Professor, Director of Graduate Education Institute, Associate Dean of Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences and Chair of Department of Political Science and International Relations at Istanbul Sabahattin Zaim University BA in International Relations, Middle East Technical University MSSc in European Integration (with Distinction), Queen's University Belfast PhD in European Studies / International Relations, Queen's University Belfast
A decade of accession negotiations with the EU has not brought Turkey significantly closer to EU ... more A decade of accession negotiations with the EU has not brought Turkey significantly closer to EU membership. In part, the reasons lie with Turkey. This article, however, explores the position of the EU and the ‘supply-side’ of enlargement. It reflects on developments in how the EU has engaged with Turkey on the question of membership, situating Turkey’s candidacy and the EU’s position within the broader comparative context of how the process and politics of EU enlargement have evolved over the last 10 years. It focuses on a set of supply-side variables that are key to determine the progress that applicants can make towards membership: member state preferences, the activism of supranational institutional actors, the EU’s integration capacity, public opinion in the EU towards enlargement and the narratives deployed in justification of enlargement. The article also considers the state of Turkey’s accession negotiations and how they have been and potentially will be affected, assuming they are meaningfully revived, by the evolving nature and substance of EU accession negotiations more generally and EU’s approach to conditionality.
The EU and Member State Building: European Foreign Policy in the Western Balkans, 2015
This chapter compares previous rounds of enlargement with the current Stabilization and Associati... more This chapter compares previous rounds of enlargement with the current Stabilization and Association Process that is applied in the Western Balkans. The authors argue that despite the seeming consistency with which states apply for EU membership and eventually accede, there is nothing inevitable about EU enlargement. The process is ultimately political despite the EU’s portrayal of itself as a normative actor spreading its values through enlargement. Moreover, as the EU learns lessons from successive rounds of enlargement, it can and does adjust the requirements it makes of applicants. Adjustments are also made to address the standing of particular applicants. Hence, in the Western Balkan context, EU engagement includes measures aimed as much at consolidating fragile states and ‘member state building’ as at more traditional preparations for accession.
Türkiye’s EU membership negotiation process has been comatose since its early years. Now, in 2022... more Türkiye’s EU membership negotiation process has been comatose since its early years. Now, in 2022, the seventeenth year of negotiations, the final destination of Türkiye’s EU journey is still far from certain. And recent debates on Türkiye–EU relations focus on whether Türkiye should be an EU member rather than why or when. There has been increasing criticism directed at each other and waning interest in Türkiye’s EU integration while the EU and Türkiye have faced major crises in the last two decades. This article aims to analyse key factors and issues influencing Türkiye’s EU accession process on the road to the current stalemate since the beginning of accession negotiations in 2005: (a) the Europeanisation of the Cyprus issue (the role of EU Member States and conditionality), (b) deEuropeanisation in Türkiye (the role of conditionality), (c) the return of geopolitics (the role of security considerations and contextual changes), and (d) the July 15th failed coup attempt (the role o...
Turkiye 15 Temmuz 2016 gecesi demokrasisini hedef almis cok onemli bir tehdidi bertaraf etti. O g... more Turkiye 15 Temmuz 2016 gecesi demokrasisini hedef almis cok onemli bir tehdidi bertaraf etti. O gece Turk halki sokaklara cikarak cani pahasina demokrasisini darbecilere karsi korudu. Darbe girisimi sonrasi toplanan deliller darbe girisiminin Fethullahci Teror Orgutu FETO tarafindan planlanarak hayata gecirildigini gosteriyor. Bu calisma, 15 Temmuz sonrasi donemde Turkiye’deki siyasi ortami, artan Bati karsitligi ve Avrupa supheciliginin nedenlerini ve 15 Temmuz basarisiz darbe girisiminin Turkiye – AB iliskilerine olasi etkilerini incelemeyi hedeflemektedir. Calisma, AB’nin, isleyen devlet yapisi ve demokrasisinin varligini surdurme cabasinda Turkiye ile dayanismasini artirmasinin ve 15 Temmuz sonrasinda FETO ile mucadelesinde Turkiye’nin hassasiyetini dikkate almak uzere Turkiye ile diyaloga girmesinin gerekliligini ileri surmektedir. Bu, 15 Temmuz sonrasi donemde Turkiye’de artan Avrupa suphecilik ile mucadele edilmesi ve AB’nin Turkiye’nin demokratiklesmesinde normatif bir refer...
The Austrian government may have failed in its efforts in 2005 to have ‘privileged partnership’ i... more The Austrian government may have failed in its efforts in 2005 to have ‘privileged partnership’ inserted into the European Union’s framework for accession negotiations with Turkey, but this did not prevent the country’s Chancellor, Wolfgang Schüssel, from claiming that ‘for the first time ever, we have set an extra condition which will yet be very important in the future for Europe, namely the ability of the Union to take in new members’.Indeed, since its inclusion in the framework for negotiations, the EU’s ‘capacity to absorb’ new members is referred to as a new criterion for further enlargement of the European Union (EU). When opponents of Turkey’s membership, like Schüssel, celebrate the emphasis on the EU’s ‘absorption capacity’, Turks generally regard it as specially- designed extra obstacle to their membership aspirations even if the EU’s ‘absorption capacity’ is a permanent agenda item whenever the EU discusses enlargement. This article explores the origins of this – suppose...
ABSTRACT Existing studies of European Union (EU) enlargement provide few answers to questions con... more ABSTRACT Existing studies of European Union (EU) enlargement provide few answers to questions concerning continuity and change in the dynamics of the process. This article identifies a number of conditioning factors that have shaped the EU’s approach to eastern enlargement and traces elements of continuity and change in the EU’s handling of Turkey’s membership aspirations. The article focuses on three established factors – member state preferences, supranational activism and EU capacity – and two less prominent factors – public opinion and narrative frame.
Perspectives on European Politics and Society, 2009
... Introduction). Also, the choice of an inclusive approach to eastern enlargement in 1997 was b... more ... Introduction). Also, the choice of an inclusive approach to eastern enlargement in 1997 was based on achieving security in Europe and not losing domestic support for reform in the 'pre-in' CEECs (Baun, 20002. Baun, MJ 2000. ...
Perspectives on European Politics and Society, 2007
... The long-standing conditionality-related obstacles that had hindered Turkey from starting acc... more ... The long-standing conditionality-related obstacles that had hindered Turkey from starting accession ... Reasons for a privileged partnership between Turkey and the EU, Zaman Online (English ... thinking', which can affect 'the internal cohesion of the people of the European Union'. ...
... Among those, some actions justify this labelling of the EU as a 'Christian club' wh... more ... Among those, some actions justify this labelling of the EU as a 'Christian club' while there are also loyal supporters of Turkey ... meet the Copenhagen criteria and international policy initiatives such as 'the alliance of civilizations', playing a facilitator role in diplomacy between Israel ...
This chapter compares previous rounds of enlargement with the current Stabilization and Associati... more This chapter compares previous rounds of enlargement with the current Stabilization and Association Process that is applied in the Western Balkans. The authors argue that despite the seeming consistency with which states apply for EU membership and eventually accede, there is nothing inevitable about EU enlargement. The process is ultimately political despite the EU’s portrayal of itself as a normative actor spreading its values through enlargement. Moreover, as the EU learns lessons from successive rounds of enlargement, it can and does adjust the requirements it makes of applicants. Adjustments are also made to address the standing of particular applicants. Hence, in the Western Balkan context, EU engagement includes measures aimed as much at consolidating fragile states and ‘member state building’ as at more traditional preparations for accession.
This paper analyses the reasons for frustration and pessimism about Turkey-EU relations. It focus... more This paper analyses the reasons for frustration and pessimism about Turkey-EU relations. It focuses on the impact of the crisis in Europe, the 2014 EP elections and selection of Jean-Claude Juncker for the Commission President post on Turkey’s EU accession process. Finally, the paper tries to answer how the current pessimism over Turkey-EU relations can be overcome.
A decade of accession negotiations with the EU has not brought Turkey significantly closer to EU ... more A decade of accession negotiations with the EU has not brought Turkey significantly closer to EU membership. In part, the reasons lie with Turkey. This article, however, explores the position of the EU and the ‘supply-side’ of enlargement. It reflects on developments in how the EU has engaged with Turkey on the question of membership, situating Turkey’s candidacy and the EU’s position within the broader comparative context of how the process and politics of EU enlargement have evolved over the last 10 years. It focuses on a set of supply-side variables that are key to determine the progress that applicants can make towards membership: member state preferences, the activism of supranational institutional actors, the EU’s integration capacity, public opinion in the EU towards enlargement and the narratives deployed in justification of enlargement. The article also considers the state of Turkey’s accession negotiations and how they have been and potentially will be affected, assuming they are meaningfully revived, by the evolving nature and substance of EU accession negotiations more generally and EU’s approach to conditionality.
The EU and Member State Building: European Foreign Policy in the Western Balkans, 2015
This chapter compares previous rounds of enlargement with the current Stabilization and Associati... more This chapter compares previous rounds of enlargement with the current Stabilization and Association Process that is applied in the Western Balkans. The authors argue that despite the seeming consistency with which states apply for EU membership and eventually accede, there is nothing inevitable about EU enlargement. The process is ultimately political despite the EU’s portrayal of itself as a normative actor spreading its values through enlargement. Moreover, as the EU learns lessons from successive rounds of enlargement, it can and does adjust the requirements it makes of applicants. Adjustments are also made to address the standing of particular applicants. Hence, in the Western Balkan context, EU engagement includes measures aimed as much at consolidating fragile states and ‘member state building’ as at more traditional preparations for accession.
Türkiye’s EU membership negotiation process has been comatose since its early years. Now, in 2022... more Türkiye’s EU membership negotiation process has been comatose since its early years. Now, in 2022, the seventeenth year of negotiations, the final destination of Türkiye’s EU journey is still far from certain. And recent debates on Türkiye–EU relations focus on whether Türkiye should be an EU member rather than why or when. There has been increasing criticism directed at each other and waning interest in Türkiye’s EU integration while the EU and Türkiye have faced major crises in the last two decades. This article aims to analyse key factors and issues influencing Türkiye’s EU accession process on the road to the current stalemate since the beginning of accession negotiations in 2005: (a) the Europeanisation of the Cyprus issue (the role of EU Member States and conditionality), (b) deEuropeanisation in Türkiye (the role of conditionality), (c) the return of geopolitics (the role of security considerations and contextual changes), and (d) the July 15th failed coup attempt (the role o...
Turkiye 15 Temmuz 2016 gecesi demokrasisini hedef almis cok onemli bir tehdidi bertaraf etti. O g... more Turkiye 15 Temmuz 2016 gecesi demokrasisini hedef almis cok onemli bir tehdidi bertaraf etti. O gece Turk halki sokaklara cikarak cani pahasina demokrasisini darbecilere karsi korudu. Darbe girisimi sonrasi toplanan deliller darbe girisiminin Fethullahci Teror Orgutu FETO tarafindan planlanarak hayata gecirildigini gosteriyor. Bu calisma, 15 Temmuz sonrasi donemde Turkiye’deki siyasi ortami, artan Bati karsitligi ve Avrupa supheciliginin nedenlerini ve 15 Temmuz basarisiz darbe girisiminin Turkiye – AB iliskilerine olasi etkilerini incelemeyi hedeflemektedir. Calisma, AB’nin, isleyen devlet yapisi ve demokrasisinin varligini surdurme cabasinda Turkiye ile dayanismasini artirmasinin ve 15 Temmuz sonrasinda FETO ile mucadelesinde Turkiye’nin hassasiyetini dikkate almak uzere Turkiye ile diyaloga girmesinin gerekliligini ileri surmektedir. Bu, 15 Temmuz sonrasi donemde Turkiye’de artan Avrupa suphecilik ile mucadele edilmesi ve AB’nin Turkiye’nin demokratiklesmesinde normatif bir refer...
The Austrian government may have failed in its efforts in 2005 to have ‘privileged partnership’ i... more The Austrian government may have failed in its efforts in 2005 to have ‘privileged partnership’ inserted into the European Union’s framework for accession negotiations with Turkey, but this did not prevent the country’s Chancellor, Wolfgang Schüssel, from claiming that ‘for the first time ever, we have set an extra condition which will yet be very important in the future for Europe, namely the ability of the Union to take in new members’.Indeed, since its inclusion in the framework for negotiations, the EU’s ‘capacity to absorb’ new members is referred to as a new criterion for further enlargement of the European Union (EU). When opponents of Turkey’s membership, like Schüssel, celebrate the emphasis on the EU’s ‘absorption capacity’, Turks generally regard it as specially- designed extra obstacle to their membership aspirations even if the EU’s ‘absorption capacity’ is a permanent agenda item whenever the EU discusses enlargement. This article explores the origins of this – suppose...
ABSTRACT Existing studies of European Union (EU) enlargement provide few answers to questions con... more ABSTRACT Existing studies of European Union (EU) enlargement provide few answers to questions concerning continuity and change in the dynamics of the process. This article identifies a number of conditioning factors that have shaped the EU’s approach to eastern enlargement and traces elements of continuity and change in the EU’s handling of Turkey’s membership aspirations. The article focuses on three established factors – member state preferences, supranational activism and EU capacity – and two less prominent factors – public opinion and narrative frame.
Perspectives on European Politics and Society, 2009
... Introduction). Also, the choice of an inclusive approach to eastern enlargement in 1997 was b... more ... Introduction). Also, the choice of an inclusive approach to eastern enlargement in 1997 was based on achieving security in Europe and not losing domestic support for reform in the 'pre-in' CEECs (Baun, 20002. Baun, MJ 2000. ...
Perspectives on European Politics and Society, 2007
... The long-standing conditionality-related obstacles that had hindered Turkey from starting acc... more ... The long-standing conditionality-related obstacles that had hindered Turkey from starting accession ... Reasons for a privileged partnership between Turkey and the EU, Zaman Online (English ... thinking', which can affect 'the internal cohesion of the people of the European Union'. ...
... Among those, some actions justify this labelling of the EU as a 'Christian club' wh... more ... Among those, some actions justify this labelling of the EU as a 'Christian club' while there are also loyal supporters of Turkey ... meet the Copenhagen criteria and international policy initiatives such as 'the alliance of civilizations', playing a facilitator role in diplomacy between Israel ...
This chapter compares previous rounds of enlargement with the current Stabilization and Associati... more This chapter compares previous rounds of enlargement with the current Stabilization and Association Process that is applied in the Western Balkans. The authors argue that despite the seeming consistency with which states apply for EU membership and eventually accede, there is nothing inevitable about EU enlargement. The process is ultimately political despite the EU’s portrayal of itself as a normative actor spreading its values through enlargement. Moreover, as the EU learns lessons from successive rounds of enlargement, it can and does adjust the requirements it makes of applicants. Adjustments are also made to address the standing of particular applicants. Hence, in the Western Balkan context, EU engagement includes measures aimed as much at consolidating fragile states and ‘member state building’ as at more traditional preparations for accession.
This paper analyses the reasons for frustration and pessimism about Turkey-EU relations. It focus... more This paper analyses the reasons for frustration and pessimism about Turkey-EU relations. It focuses on the impact of the crisis in Europe, the 2014 EP elections and selection of Jean-Claude Juncker for the Commission President post on Turkey’s EU accession process. Finally, the paper tries to answer how the current pessimism over Turkey-EU relations can be overcome.
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