Turkish accession to the European Union is an important but controversial item on the agenda of the European Union. By focusing on the various domestic sources that drive Turkish politics, this comprehensive study of both classic and new topics supported by fresh, new insights fills a void in the current literature on Turkey-EU relations.

This volume is a comprehensive, state of the art study of domestic politics and policies and their role in Turkey’s EU accession. Contributions are obtained from established scholars, acknowledged for their expertise in their respective fields. The content is structured along issues, dynamics, actors and policies that drive Turkish politics and it provides an integrated assessment of the dynamics in Turkey-EU relations to general readers, students and specialists in EU Enlargement and Turkish politics alike.

Original contributions to ‘classic’ topics such as the customs union, human rights, military, civil society, public and elite opinion, political parties and the Kurdish issue are made by assessing the domestic sources of recent developments during the negotiations period. In addition, ‘new’ topics are included that previously have not been covered or analyzed in volumes on Turkish-EU relations such as the Alevi issue, European Turks, corruption in Turkey, and Turkish parliamentary elite opinion on Turkey and the EU.

This book was published as a special issue of South European Society and Politics.

Contents

Part 1: Historical Perspectives 1. Introduction: Taking Stock of the Dynamics that Shape EU Reforms in Turkey Gamze Avc覺 and Ali Çarkolu 2. Speeding up or Slowing down? Lessons from the Last Enlargement on the Dynamics of Enlargement-Driven Reform Antoaneta L. Dimitrova 3. The EU – Turkey Customs Union Fifteen Years Later: Better, Yet not the Best Alternative Kamil Y覺lmaz 4. Challenges of Triangular Relations: The US, the EU, and Turkish Accession Sabri Sayar覺 Part 2: Poliange through EU Reforms 5. The Turkish – EU Odyssey and Political Regime Change in Turkey Ersin Kalayc覺olu 6. Turkish Foreign Policy, its Domestic Determinants and the Role of the European Union Meltem Müftüler-Baç 7. The Impact of EU-Driven Reforms on the Political Autonomy of the Turkish Military Yaprak Gürsoy 8. Is Corruption a Drawback to Turkey’s Accession to the European Union? Fikret Adaman Part 3: Human Rights and Minorities 9. Human Rights and Turkey’s EU Accession Process: Internal and External Dynamics, 2005-10 William Hale 10. The Kurdish Issue in Turkey: Limits of European Union Reform Kemal Kirisçi 11. A Precarious Relationship: The Alevi Minority, the Turkish State and the EU Ali Çarkolu and Nazl覺 Ça覺n Bilgili Part IV: Mass Public Opinion, Elites and Civil Society 12. Diagnosing Trends and Determinants in Public Support for Turkey’s EU Membership Ali Çarkolu and Çiem Kentmen 13. Inte...