Turkey and the European Union: Internal Dynamics and External Challenges (review)

An enormous amount has been written, is being written, and will be written on Turkey's efforts to join the European Union. Turkey's "application" marks a watershed moment in Western and Middle Eastern history: two "civilizations" may be joined in a single community. The consequences cannot be foreseen, but those in favor of union—including a preponderance of EU leaders—hope the result will be a strong bridge between East and West that increases security and stability in economic, military, and cultural terms. Doubters feel that Turkey and Europe are so culturally and historically dissimilar that a harmonious union is impossible. They project that the result will be a weakening of what is European about Europe, leading to both internal and external conflict, and ultimately, less security and stability.

Analysts will long comb through the evidence and history to determine how Turkey and Europe arrived at whatever their destination turns out to be. But there is good reason not to wait for the future to begin the analysis. It is apparent from the conduct of numerous foreign-policy adventures and misadventures—Iraq being only the most obvious—that a calm look at the dynamics and history of any imminent foreign policy decision could benefit all parties.

Turkey and the European Union: Internal Dynamics and External Challenges offers just that kind of look at Turkey on the threshold of EU membership—or on the threshold of being turned down. Its authors describe to readers how Europe and Turkey arrived at their present relationship; what the possible costs and benefits of union might be; and how various leaders, governments, and populations perceive those costs and benefits.

Joseph S. Joseph of the University of Cyprus solicited eleven chapters from thirteen scholars, and his choice of chapter topics covers a range of perceptions and issues. I will paraphrase Joseph's concise introductory notes here. Mehmet Uguar looks at the economic implications of union for both the EU and Turkey. Spyridon Kotsovilis explores the dynamic of democratization in a Turkish government informed by Islam. Neophytos Loizides and Elif Ersin study the workings of the Turkish Grand National Assembly and find it to be more self-critical than often imagined. Wendy Weber writes on the relationship between civil society and the state in Turkey as it works toward accession.

In chapter six Michael Gunter explores Turkey's increasingly internationalized Kurdish question. Next, Nathalie Tocci takes a slightly different tact on the Kurdish issue and writes about the EU's concerns over internal stability, democracy, and human rights in Turkey in the context of the Kurdish question.

Alexander Kazamias addresses Greek-Turkish relation in chapter eight, with special emphasis on Greece's handling of Turkey's application to the EU. Chapter nine by Tozun Bahceli then looks at the way Turkey is dealing with, or may deal with, the Cyprus issue as an EU applicant. Europe is watching both for a satisfactory solution and evidence that Turkey can work effectively within the international system.

In chapter ten, Mustafa Kibaroglu looks at the implications of EU membership for Turkey's security. A great deal has been written about the implications for Europe of having Turkey as a military colleague. One hears less about the implications for Turkey, and this article helps adjust the balance. Omer Taspinar then discusses the Turkey-EU-US triangle in chapter eleven and concludes that Turkey is often frustrated by both of these major Western powers. And finally, chapter twelve is a case study of the current war in Iraq, by Ozlem Kayhan and Dan Lindley. From their perspective, Turkey's restrained role was helpful in the application process. Indeed, except for issues surrounding the Kurds in northern Iraq—issues that existed long before the US invasion—Turkey has managed to steer ably through difficult waters during the years of the Iraq conflict and has shown that, at least in this case, it...