Turkey in the EU's Enlargement Process: Obstacles and Challenges

Abstract

The European Union (EU) has embarked on an ambitious programme of enlargement. In this process, Turkey, as one of the candidates, has a particularly difficult position. This article argues that Turkey's relationship with the Union should not be treated as bilateral, but rather should be placed in the larger framework of EU enlargement. In this context, the main proposition is that Turkey's EU candidacy and its negotiations for accession are affected by four factors: the Copenhagen criteria, the EU's institutional set-up, member state preferences (and related to that, Turkey's population) and public opinion within the EU. The article analyses the interplay between these factors and discusses Turkey's future with the European Union in a multilateral perspective.