Turkey's candidacy for European Union membership and obstacles to accession

Turkey EU

In December 1999 at the Helsinki European Council, Turkey became a candidate country for EU membership. The prospect of Turkey joining the EU is one of the most ambitious -- and contentious -- moves that the Union has made. Negotiations began in 2005 and have proceeded at a relatively slow pace. There are a wide range of issues that need to be addressed before Turkey can be accepted into the EU. The issues are not simply practical. Turkey's status as a Muslim country, albeit a secular one, is of concern to many in Europe. As well, Turkey's poor relations with EU member Greece in the past century and a half threatens negotiations. Furthermore, instability in the country, in particular with respect to the Kurdish situation, is an issue unrelated to fundamentals that contributes to the complexity of the negotiations regarding Turkey's accession to the EU. This paper will analyze these issues and attempt to shed light on the workings of the EU and what it might take for Turkey to join.

Context

In recent years, the European Union has expanded significantly. Once a trade union between Western European nations, the EU has become a pan-European governmental force. In 2004, the Union admitted ten new nations, mostly in Central and Eastern Europe and in 2007 Bulgaria and Romania joined. Enlarging the EU is seen as a foreign policy tool. By admitting members on its periphery, Europe extends its sphere of influence, and stabilizes not only Europe but its immediate surroundings as well (Champion, 2009). In addition to Turkey, Croatia is negotiating to join and one more, Macedonia, has been declared an official candidate. Iceland, Albania and Montenegro are not official candidates but have initiated the accession process.

Turkey's particular relationship with the union dates to 1959, when Turkey applied for associate membership in the European Economic Community (EEC) (European Commission, 2009). It was not until forty years later, however, that Turkey was named as an official candidate country. Since then, negotiations have been stop and start. Of the 35 points of negotiation, only 11 have been opened and just one thus far has been closed (European Union, 2009).

Also in the broader context is the fear of Islam that is a major social undercurrent in Europe. Political parties that stand for a strictly Judeo-Christian view of Europe are gaining in popularity, which creates a political imperative for the rejection of Turkey as a European Union member. While there is a small portion of that country within Europe, most of it is in Asia. While the Aegean and Mediterranean coasts were once part of the Greek world, that era ended definitively in the early 20th century. The region that is now Turkey may once have been part of Europe, but today those linkages are more tenuous. Turks migrants have immigrated to European countries such as Germany by the millions, creating the impression that the Turks are taking over certain parts of Europe. They build mosques and minarets, which some take as signaling Islamic dominance of the area. Thus, there are many who believe that fear of Islam in general and Turks in particular is contributing to keeping Turkey out of the EU (Ramadan, 2009).

The Issue

Accession to the European Union traditionally requires that candidate nations align their laws and economies to European standards. These nations must have, for example, a certain degree of economic stability in addition to robust legal systems in order to receive full membership. Political stability is also an antecedent to accession.

With respect to the economy, Turkey has a per capita GDP of $11,900, putting it just below recent EU members Romania and Bulgaria, but well below the other EU states. Its GDP overall, however, is at $903.9 billion the 17th largest in the world, and would be the 6th largest in the EU if it joined (CIA World Factbook, 2009). Although a significant number of Turkish citizens work in agriculture and certain regions of the country remain in poverty, Turkey is clearly close in economic terms of EU qualifications.

The Turkish legal regime derives from a number of European systems. The nation is a member of the European Court of Human Rights, although the country is not fully congruent with European law. Some of Turkey's reluctance to adopt European standards comes from internal politics concerning the Kurdish minority.

The Kurdish problem is one of the main issues of political instability in Turkey as well. Ten years ago when Turkey was named a candidate for EU accession, the far southeast and east of the country were essentially out of control of the central government. This situation has changed, but the Kurdish minority in the region seeks independence and can be militant at times.

There are other issues with respect to Turkish political stability. Turkey has a long-running dispute with Greece over the island of Cyprus. Turkey controls the northern portion of the island while the south is a Greek-aligned independent nation. Cyprus joined the EU in 2004, which gives it veto power over issues of foreign policy. One ongoing dispute with respect to the blocking of ship traffic around the island has resulted in the stoppage of negotiations on 8 of the 35 negotiating subjects between Turkey and the EU (Earth Times, 2009). There are other tensions with Greece, including Turkish military flights over Greek territory and illegal immigration from Turkey into the EU via Greece (EurActiv, 2009).

The border issue is one of the most important practical matters that Turkey must address as part of the accession process. Europe is already concerned about Islam's growth and waves of illegal immigrants. The Turkish frontier is considered porous even where it already borders the EU in Greece and Bulgaria. On the other sides, along the borders with Syria, Iraq, Iran, Armenia and Georgia the border is even more porous. If Turkey were to join the EU, these borders would become the gateways for illegal immigration into Europe. For an EU already concerned with illegal immigration, the lack of Turkish control over these remote frontiers is of grave concern (EU Business, 2009).

Conclusions

Turkey's accession to the European Union has been a drawn-out process. While the country has made solid gains in its economic measures, there are many other issues still unresolved. The EU, first and foremost, takes care of its own interests. Turkey's candidacy reflects EU interest of expanding its sphere of influence, but the sluggish pace of negotiations reflects the EU's defense of Cypriot and Greek interests as well as issues with respect to natural gas and illegal immigration.

The EU has traditionally emphasized European cultural values as a prerequisite for entering the union. Historically, these values have been reflected in democratic government, human rights and capitalist economies. The Turkey question, however, expands the notion of European cultural values. When the predictable issues such as the squabble over Cyprus are removed, Turkey's accession is a challenge for Europe because it adds the undercurrent of religion into the discussions. While many point to the formal process as being one of laws, economies and political systems, it is clear that European cultural values now extends into a Christian worldview for many.

Turkey has yet to fully embrace many of Europe's cultural values. The question remains, however, as to whether or not Europe is ready to embrace Turkey's cultural values.

Works Cited:

Champion, M. (2009). EU expansion fosters stability, Bildt says. Wall Street Journal. Retrieved December 8, 2009 from http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124568425718637441.html

EC. (2009). EU -- Turkey relations. European Commission Retrieved December 8, 2009 from http://ec.europa.eu/enlargement/candidate-countries/turkey/eu_turkey_relations_en.htm

EU. (2009). Turkey. European Union. Retrieved December 8, 2009 from http://ec.europa.eu/enlargement/pdf/enlargement_process/accession_process/how_does_a_country_join_the_eu/negotiations_croatia_turkey/overview_negotiations_tr_en.pdf

Ramadan, T. (2009). Turkey is part of Europe. Fear keeps it out of the EU. The Guardian. Retrieved December 8, 2009 from http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/aug/06/turkey-eu-membership

CIA World Fact book. (2009). Turkey. Central Intelligence Agency. Retrieved December 8, 2009 from https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2001rank.html?countryName=Turkey&countryCode=tu&regionCode=me&rank=17#tu

Earth Times. (2009). Cyprus demands freeze on Turkey's EU talks. Earth Times. Retrieved December 8, 2009 from http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/298332,cyprus-demands-freeze-on-turkeys-eu-talks.html