The Power of Attraction: Perceptions from Turkey

Abstract

The European Union (EU) relationship with Turkey has been vague and ambiguous since the Ankara Association agreement in 1963, and as noted by Gomez and Peterson ‘relations between the two sides have swung, pendulum-like, between periods of intense discord and amity’ (2000, p. 14). Turkey aspired to become a member of the EU for many years, but Turkish applications to join the European club were consistently rejected by the EP, the Commission and the member states because in their view, Turkey did not meet the conditions for membership, which after 1993, were clearly articulated in the Copenhagen criteria. Although it can be argued that this position to some degree was justifiable, the Turkish perception was rather different — indeed the Turkish perception was that the conditions attached to its eligibility and the inconsistent manner by which they were applied — veiled the real reasons behind the rejection of Turkey’s application to join the European club (cultural, religious).