“Turkey and the European Union”

J. Álava M.

Turkey is a country that is located in a strategic

region of the world and it has always been influenced by many

cultures for centuries. Its geographic position has always

been a struggle since it is in the borders between Asia and

Europe and here comes the problem about Turkey.

The country has decided to be part of the European Union

since 1963 when it started to be part of the European

Community (EC)* as an associated member, but the next step of

being part of the actual European Union (EU)** has always

been a deal for this country that has a strong feeling about

getting into the European world1.

The full membership application of the country started

in 1983 when the Özal government decided to change the entire

route of the country and wanted to find a better development

for the Turkey knowing that it could be possible once the

country started to open its borders with the rest of Europe.2

The main objectives of the country are to improve the

economy that has always had problems but it has got higher

since the establishment of The Republic OF Turkey in 1923 by

the former president Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and the reforms

that he decided to establish like education for the Turk

1
*European Community (EC) was an international organization created with a view to bring
about economic integration among the Inner Six of European integration.
**European Union (EU) is a political and economic union of 27 member states which are
located in Europe and was originated in 1958.
Jenny Walker. Lonely Planet ‘Blue List’ Travel Islam (Sydney 2008), 89.
2
Carlos Jiménez. “Almanaque Mundial 2011”. (Mexico D.F: Televisa Publishing
International, 2010), 445.
 J. Álava M.

people , the development of human rights incorporating women

to the sociality considering that women do not have voice and

power in Muslim countries, so these first steps where an

incentive for the country to get closer to their European

neighborhoods that have never felt so friendly with Turkey

for so many reasons and that is the starting point for the

difficulties that Turkey has always had about entering into

the EU.

The reasons for most of the European countries about

incorporating and not incorporating Turkey to union begin

with the simple fact that it is a muslin republic and the

other countries feel a sense of danger since the attacks to

the World Trade Center in 2001. Turkey has a real close

relationship with the Muslim World and it is the main gate

for this region to inter into Europe once this old route was

opened again in the 1990’s3.

A second reason for the positive convenience of the

Union is that Turkey has a strong army force and I would be

the second one in Europe and its influence among the Black

Sea and the Caspian Sea together with Europe can reach a

better relationship with that region full of resources like

natural gas and oil. The country is also playing a fantastic

labor becoming a strong mediator in the Middle East as well

3
Brett Forrest. “The New Silk Road”. National Geographic Magazine Vol 27, no.2
(August 2010): 43-67.
 J. Álava M.

as in the Balkan Region and the Caucasus resolving problems

that have taken centuries, linking ties that were broken in

this tumultuous area4.

In other hand, powerful countries like France and

Germany totally reject about the entrance of Turkey in the

Union, knowing that this country has a population of 78

million people which would be the second most populated

country in the EU after Germany, taking a great advantage of

seats at the European Union Council and that is not

convenient for these countries that are used to take almost

all the mayor decisions in the EU.5

Presidents Nicolas Sarkozy and Angela Merkel from France

and Germany respectively, are two of the main opponents

saying that the entrance of Turkey and its influence will

reduce the national identity of both countries and their

backgrounds will not be the same having a minority that is

already the largest one in both countries. These countries

also fear that the Turkish population will invade the German

and French societies stealing jobs that are for the people of

these countries impoverishing their economies, making a

deeper problem with the global crisis6.

4
William Underhill, “Europe’s Dim New Dawn”, Newsweek Magazine Vol.CLV No.11 (March
15 2010): 6.
5
Lucia Kubosova. (2007, March 30). “Turkey and the European Union”: Definition from
Wikipedia Web Site. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turkey_and_the_European_Union
6
Christopher Dickey, “President on the Precipice”, Newsweek Magazine Vol.CLII No.25
(December 22, 2008): 25
 J. Álava M.

The last problem that Turkey has to face is the actual

conflict in Northern Cyprus and Kurdistan, destabilizing the

inner borders of the EU and getting far away of a dream that

other 10 European countries achieved in 20047.

Concluding this research, the decision of getting Turkey

into the European elite is still unsure because of many

reasons that have endangered the future annexation of the

nation that has always dreamed of becoming part of the

wealthiest treaty in the world.

The Turkish position has a great value because it is

located in an area that connects Asia, Africa and Europe in

one single place and that is why the country is so tentative

for all of the poor areas that surround it.

In recent years Turkey has played an important role in

the relationship between Europe, United States and the Middle

East, having some examples like the problems between

Palestine and Israel where Turkey has always been a mediator.

As it was said before, Turkey has even helped in the

problems that damage the Balkans area, accepting and helping

countries like Kosovo that recently declared independent from

Serbia, also supporting Macedonia Fyrom to be accepted by the

international organizations as well as having good bilateral

communication with Greece that has also been the eternal

7
Andrew Meier. “Endangered Revolution”. March 2006. Official Web page of National
Geographic Magazine. http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2006/03/ukraine-revolution/meier-
text.html
 J. Álava M.

rival of Turkey through history because of territorial

disputes and that has affected the acceptance of Europe in

the European community.

Turkey even represents a dangerous risk for the South

American population that immigrates to Europe because once

Turkey starts operating as a member of the EU, borders will

not exist anymore and its people will cut off the working

places of some countries that host people from other nations,

creating a complicated situation not only in the richest

European countries but also in the rest of poor countries

that find Europe as the best place to work.

Turkey will have to establish even harder policies about

migration from the Middle East and Africa in order to fit

with the European rules about minorities and acceptance of

multicultural groups, this involves the Armenian Genocide

that devastated the with the Armenian people that used to

live in Anatolia, where Turkey is currently located, and that

is still not recognized by the Turkish community.

All these issues have really made difficult the

acceptance of Turkey in a saved and democratic Europe that

has found its goals and images about other countries. Turkey

persuades its dream but it seems to be very far away from

what other 27 member states want, finishing with a dilemma

that has not moved anywhere.

 J. Álava M.

Bibliography
 J. Álava M.

Jiménez, Carlos. “Almanaque Mundial 2011”. México D.F:

Televisa Publishing International, 2010.

Forrest, Brett. “The New Silk Road”. National Geographic

Magazine Vol 27, no.2 (August 2010): 43-67.

Walker, Jenny. Lonely Planet ‘Blue List’ Travel Islam.

Sydney: 2008.

Underhill, William. “Europe’s Dim New Dawn”. Newsweek

Magazine Vol. CLV. No.11 (March 15, 2010):6

Kubosova, Lucia. (2007) “Turkey and the European Union”.

Definition From Wikipedia.org official web page.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turkey_and_the_Euro

pean_Union

Dickey, Christopher. “President on the Precipice”. Newsweek

Magazine Vol. CLII. No.25 (December 22, 2008): 24-26.

Meier, Andrew. “Endangered Revolution” (2006): Definition

From Nationalgeographic.com official web page. http://

Ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2006/03/Ukraine-revolution/

Meier-text.html