Turkish membership to the European Union: what stakes?

Résumé du document

In the aftermath of the enlargement of the EU and the adoption of the Lisbon treaty, Turkey's adhesion to the European Union is a question which has often arisen since the formal accession negotiations began in 2005. Turkey first applied for associate membership of the European Economic Community (EEC) in 1959, and finally signed the Agreement creating an association between The Republic of Turkey and the EEC on September 12nd, 1963.

The question of Turkey's adhesion to the EU is very controversial because of many issues such as the economic situation of Turkey, the issue of Cyprus, the geographical position of Turkey, and its Muslim population, beside. Nevertheless, the European Union is based on a political community, which means that geographical or cultural differences should not be a problem for Turkey's adhesion, all the more so that this adhesion presents advantages for the both, the EU, and for Turkey.

So, why does Turkey presents such an issue concerning its place in the EU?
In order to understand better why this question of adhesion is so controversial, we will expose the different arguments in favour or against Turkish membership of the European Union, considering the position of the EU.

Extraits

[...] A dynamic country with a modernising economy Other advantages are that it would strengthen the EU's economy with the addition of an OECD and member of the G-20 bloc; even if Turkey is considered as a poor country, it has a very dynamic, rapidly modernising economy, and within the last decade it has become a central hub of energy resources. d. A geopolitical advantage for the EU Turkey is also a strong regional military power and a strategic place for the European Union, which could give the EU more weight. Its army, which is recognized for its strong efficiency, is the most important in the OTAN after the one of the United States. [...]

[...] Actually, the Turkish membership adhesion is only approved by fourteen countries over twenty seven ones. But what remains the most surprising is the fact that this adhesion for Turkish membership to the EU is most favourable in some of “European countries” than is Turkey. Actually, it seems that only 55% of Turkish citizens are favourable, and this is what we will try to explain in the second part of this presentation. Conclusion In a nutshell, we can observe that Turkey and the EU don't really have the same vision of their future and seem more and more sceptic to work together. [...]

[...] Actually, only of Turkey's territory lies in geographical Europe and furthermore, Turkish capital- Ankara- is not in Europe, but in Asia. d. The geopolical context and the Kurdish issue In addition, many European countries are very concerned about the geopolitical situation of Turkey: indeed, with the Caucasus in North, Iran in the East and Iraq in the South, its frontier countries are extremely unstable. The idea that the European Union has a common border with such areas seems too dangerous for the moment and creates fears amongst Europeans. [...]

[...] II. The EU pro-Turkish membership a. The links of History Actually, from a historical point of view, Turkey has a real link with Europe. Turkey and Europe have the same roots: the Christian religion was implanted for many centuries before the Ottoman Empire. And there are many vestiges of this period all around Turkey, particularly in Istanbul. Moreover, trade and exchange have been existed for ages between Turkey and the rest of Europe, so Turkey is incontestably linked with Europe. [...]

[...] And even if the EU recognizes the advantages Turkish membership could represent, most “European people”, if we can say this, are not to accept Turkey as a European country. So, what can justify this position? a. The argument of population According to the EU, on the whole, the adhesion of Turkey would represent many issues: Firstly, it would become the second most populated member state, after Germany, with approximately 70 millions of people. Considering the political system of the EU, which is based on a repartition of votes depending on the number of peoples by country, the adhesion of Turkey would mean that this country would have a considerable weight in the makingdecision process, such as Germany, France, United Kingdom or Italy. [...]