Europe’s reasons and Turkey’s accession

Summary:

Because of its history, culture, size and geographical position, Turkey's entry into the Union has generated a heated debate in regard to the very nature of the Union, the political aim of the integration process and its political and geographical limitations. The 'Eleven reflections on Turkey and the European Union' outlined in this analysis evidence the constituent nature of the debate about Turkey's membership in the EU. The questions we raise about Turkey reveal the degree to which we Europeans are actually talking about our own identity, that is, 'who we are', 'what we want' and 'with whom we are willing to achieve it'. At the same time, the answers to those questions indicate which elements (mainly ethical-cultural or civil-political) we would like to see prevail in our identity as Europeans. Clearly, Turkey's candidature has unveiled the emergence of a certain ethical-cultural nationalism at European level. Nevertheless, from these 'eleven reflections' it becomes clear that the European identity can only be built on civil-political foundations.