Is Turkey European? A Historical Analysis of the Relationship between Turkey and the European Union
Open Access
Author:
Green, Ryan Fitzgerald
Area of Honors:
History
Degree:
Bachelor of Arts
Document Type:
Thesis
Thesis Supervisors:
Arthur E Goldschmidt Jr., Thesis Supervisor Dr. Michael James Milligan, Thesis Honors Advisor Anthony Gregg Roeber, Faculty Reader
Keywords:
Turkey EU accession history
Abstract:
This thesis explores the history of interactions between Turkey and Europe since the late nineteenth century. It argues that despite the numerous economic benefits that Turkey and the European Union could gain from Turkish accession, difficult, unresolved issues make it unlikely that full accession will ever be achieved. These issues include the military’s influence over civil society, human rights violations, and the tension between Islamists and secularists. Finally, major points of conflict in the Europe-Turkey relationship since 1987 rests upon an analysis of the European Union’s reports on Turkey’s possible accession, and the Turkish Republic’s response to those documents.
