Cross-Cultural Communication and the Perception of Europeanness Among University Youth in Turkey

Abstract

Turkey's candidacy for the European Union began with its application to the European Economic Community on July 31, 1959. The fact that the negotiations between Turkey and the European Union have not been concluded in the intervening years has led Turkish society to question its perspective on the EU. What does Europe mean for Turkey? Can Turkey's EU membership be realized? If so, when? In this study, university students in Turkey were asked about their views on Europe and the European Union. The study provides clues on how Generation Z in Turkey views the European Union and whether the long-awaited EU membership of Turkish society can finally be realized. Since the young people who participated in this research will enter working life in a few years and take part in decision-making positions in the country's administration, the findings of this research will also project Turkey's perception of Europe in the future.