Turkey’s New Asylum Law: a Case of EU Influence

Abstract:

The European Union’s (EU) influence on Turkey’s domestic politics has been characterized as weak due to the lack of credible accession perspective. However, Turkey’s adoption of an asylum law in 2013, which meets almost all demands of the EU, points to the EU’s continuing influence in this policy area. The majority of the academic experts in our online survey considered the EU accession process as crucial factor for the adoption of the law.

Our interviews with officials from the Turkish government and the European Commission reveal how the EU impacted on the drafting process. EU-financed twinning projects in this policy area contributed to the creation of new institutions and to the socialization of actors, both leading to a more conducive environment for reform.