Turkish Citizens’ Perception and Expectations About EU After the 12-Year Nomination Cover Image

Turkish Citizens’ Perception and Expectations About EU After the 12-Year Nomination
Turkish Citizens’ Perception and Expectations About EU After the 12-Year Nomination

Author(s): Funda Çoban
Subject(s): Politics / Political Sciences, Politics, EU-Accession / EU-DEvelopment
Published by: Университет за национално и световно стопанство (УНСС)
Keywords: Turkey’s EU Membership; Turkish Public Opinion; Disbelief to EU; Turkey-EU Relations; EU Perception in Turkey
Summary/Abstract: Turkey’s “adventure” for being a part of EU dates back to 1959. However, the country has only been accepted as a candidate member in 2005. Since then, both EU and the idea of EU have changed as well as Turkey’s approach to EU. In this context this study, which has been based on the report of "The EU Support and European Perception in the Turkish Public Opinion" of the Economic Development Foundation (2015) emphasizes on the Turkish public opinion on the EU membership in a sociological map in comparison with the latest political fluctuations about EU policy of Turkish governments and the responses from the EU authorities. From this vein, it is crucial that Turkish people have been losing their beliefs to be accepted as a Member State in the EU despite their desire for membership. Thus, it is stressed that both sides, the Turkish and the European institutions, have responsibilities to decrease the hopeless and desperate mood to improve the idea of EU.