A Passionate Story with Europe

Abstract: Turkey-EU relations have a long and complicated history burdened with respective images about one another. On several dimensions though the completion of these relations through membership of Turkey in the EU is of immense importance. Already the Caucasus crisis has shown what a resurgent and resentful Russia may mean for European security. Efforts to keep Turkey at bay by proposing a Mediterranean union or suggestions of a 'privileged partnership' are unlikely to succeed. To better understand how membership will transform Turkey's politics and in what ways this will benefit the EU one must look at the interface between Turkey's domestic transformation of the past three decades and the changing international environment.