On Turkey – Turkey and the EU: Looking Back on 2009

Since 1999, Turkey had been a candidate for membership in the European Union. Early on, the process of accession united divergent political and social camps and triggered a virtual cycle of change. For the past few years, however, both the pace of reforms to meet the EU's political criteria and the enthusiasm for membership had declined. To create momentum in the EU process, the government of Turkey needed to mobilize a wider support base among the Turkish public. This would also help equip Turkey's friends in the European Union with stronger arguments on behalf of Turkey's Europeanization. Ultimately, leadership in the European Union would also be decisive.