With or Without the EU: Europeanisation of Asylum and Competition Policies in Turkey

Abstract:

Despite growing pessimism in Turkey regarding EU membership negotiations, domestic reforms in a number of policy areas such as asylum and competition policy have continued and have brought Turkish legislation closer to the European Union (EU) acquis. What explains the continuation of costly reforms in the absence of credible membership prospects in EU candidate countries? We argue for a model of Europeanisation that in addition to policymakers' cost–benefit calculations takes into account whether there is a policy misfit or a vacuum, the role of domestic social actors, and the influence of international institutions and transnational networks beyond the EU.