Turkey and the European Union: Challenges Lying Ahead
Turkey and the European Union: Challenges Lying Ahead

Summary/Abstract: Abstract: This paper analyzes the present challenges that Turkey is facing in the ac-cession process as emphasized by the European Commission Progress reports. Firstly, it maintains that the gap in EU-Turkey relations has widened since 2004 due to the fact that the AKP government has devoted its attention to such domestic developments as the double elections, the fight against PKK violence, the preparation of a new constitu-tion, the headscarf issue, and budgetary discussions. Furthermore, growing Euroskep-ticism in Turkey and Turkey-skepticism in some EU countries have contributed to the AKP's loss of interest in the European Union. These developments in turn have ham-pered the progress of the EU reforms in Turkey. Secondly, it is argued that in order to surmount the domestic crises of survival and legitimacy, the AKP government ironi-cally seems to have turned once again to the EU and accelerated EU reform efforts.

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