The UK Effect

Abstract

If the Kosovo effect was to push the Turkish case forward to candidacy by restating its geostrategic value first established after World War II, then the Helsinki effect took it further and began to encourage the kind of reform in Turkey which would ultimately enable its accession process to move forward. It also encouraged Turkey’s advocates within the EU to work towards solving the geostrategic issues surrounding the Turkish case, and the nor-matively opposed member states to be more pragmatic in their approach and to accept potential for reform as well as actual reform record. For these reasons the Copenhagen European Council in 2002 agreed not to dismiss the Turkish case but instead to throw forward the decision on opening accession negotiations with Turkey by two years, subject to a recommendation by the European Commission based on the Copenhagen criteria.