TURKEY AND THE EUROPEAN INTEGRATION PROCESS
TURKEY AND THE EUROPEAN INTEGRATION PROCESS

Summary/Abstract: This paper examines the process of European integration of Turkey as well as the reasons for its prolongation and complexity. The first chapter provides insight into the fundamental political, economic and legal (Copenhagen) criteria defined for each candidate country for EU accession. Furthermore, the paper reviews the specific political and economic accession criteria that Turkey has to meet. Also listed are the areas in which Turkey achieved progress through reforms as a step toward building a developed democracy. Why it is that the European integration process is prolonged despite the progress made and what are the additional reasons for it – that is the focus of the second chapter of the paper. Finally, the third chapter analyses the public support on the part of the EU citizens as well as the general public opinion among the Turkish population regarding the country’s EU membership. The main objective is to establish, by answering these three questions, the connection between meeting the EU standards on one hand, as criteria that propel the integration process, and the additional reasons and factors on the other hand, that prolong the accession of Turkey to the European Union.

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