Turkey and the EU (2^nd Ed.) An Awkward Candidate for EU Membership?

The relationship between Turkey and the European Union is an important issue in European integration. With the EU beginning accession talks with Turkey, this is a vital moment for the future as the EU deals with a central question that has been on the agenda for over forty years: Turkey's membership. Since the first edition, EU-Turkey relations have clearly taken different directions. There have been considerable developments in Greek-Turkish relations, the Cyprus issue, the domestic politics of Turkey including human rights and the protection of minorities, and the changing security environment post-9/11. Furthermore, recent enlargement has been an important turning point for the EU. This extended and revised edition addresses these major developments and assesses the implications of Turkish membership for the current EU structures. The book is a timely addition to the existing literature for students and academics of European and Middle Eastern Studies.

Contents: Introduction: an alternative approach to traditional perspectives of EU-Turkish relations; Conceptualizing the EU's enlargement policy: motivations, conditions and instruments for EU's enlargement policy; The EU-Turkey association: a flawed instrument?; Economic instruments of the EU's policy for Turkey in a comparative perspective with the CEECs; The political aspects of the EU's policy towards Turkey in the context of a new European political order; The Greek factor: the ultimate obstacle to Turkish membership?; Security aspects of the EU's relations with Turkey; Containment policy reconsidered: preparing the ground for membership in the long run?; Conclusions; Bibliography; Index.

Harun Arikan is Head of the Department of International Relations at Kahramanmaras Sütçü Imam University, Turkey.