European Political Elites’ Discourses on the Accession of Turkey to the EU: Discussing Europe through Turkish Spectacles?
European Political Elites’ Discourses on the Accession of Turkey to the EU: Discussing Europe through Turkish Spectacles?

Summary/Abstract: Debates about the accession of Turkey to the European Union (EU) are often analysed from an internal politics perspective by putting emphasis on the manipulation of the fears of public about immigration and cultural diversity. This article analyses discourses by leaders of 3 member states, the United Kingdom, Spain and France, in order to understand how positions towards Turkish accession are justified by political elites. The analysis suggests that positions towards Turkey do not depend primarily on considerations on Turkey per se but rather on how political actors perceive the position of their country within the European Union. Although the validity of this conclusion could be challenged by pointing out that obviously Turkey’s cultural difference does play a role in the construction of public opinion in some countries such as the Netherlands, Germany and Austria, the article argues that the positions of political elites in these countries are still formed depending on their positions of these actors in the EU field. Although the analysis does not reveal a pan European debate as there is no common framing, it appears that the result of Turkey’s membership application does not essentially depend on the negative attitudes of some public opinions but rather on its perception within the EU political field.

• Details
• Contents