Turkey and the European Union: The Question of European Identity

European identity has always been in a state of construction. With the creation of the European Union, however, this construction now takes place within an institutional framework, introducing a number of new variables. Selcen Öner's Turkey and the European Union: The Question of European Identity is an in-depth analysis of the influence of these two entities on each others' identity as Europeans in a society of increasing social, political, and cultural connectedness. The mutual influence between Turks and Europeans gained significant momentum in 1999, when the European Union granted official candidate status to Turkey at that year's Helsinki Summit. Turkey's Europeanness is still being debated, despite the official stance that fulfilling the Copenhagen criteria and adopting the EU acquis are enough for being a full member of the EU. These debates have even lead to arguments between political elites of the European Union about their "privileged partnership" with Turkey. When comparing the attitudes of the European Union towards Turkey versus those towards Central and Eastern Europe, one could argue that that "return to Europe" discourse has accelerated the membership of the latter, but not the former. Currently Turkey is neither considered an "other," nor a member of the "family." Rather, Turkey is commonly relegated to the role of "crucial neighbor" or "strategic partner" by the political elites of the EU. Öner's study analyzes a series of interviews conducted with several members of the European Parliament and sheds serious light on the fact that discussions on Turkey's membership in terms of her Europeanness reveal countless ambiguities in defining European identity. It is clear that there is no common understanding or definition of European identity, even amongst political leaders in the EU who challenge Turkey's authenticity as a member of European society. Thus, Selcen Öner's Turkey and the European Union: The Question of European Identity argues that the position of Turkey vis-à-vis the European Union will set a compelling benchmark for European identity construction in the future.

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Reviews:

"Öner is ideally qualified to write this perceptive work on one of the major issues in European, indeed world, politics. She faces the difficult issues about Turkey's entry into the European Union and points towards how they can best be handled. She not only knows both the EU and Turkey well, she also gives solid content to the idea of a future-oriented European identity for which Turkish membership would be good for both sides."—David F. Ford, University of Cambridge

* Preface * Introduction # PART I. EUROPEAN IDENTITY AND SOCIAL CONSTRUCTIVISM * Chapter 1. Construction of the Idea of 'Europe' Throughout History and the Attempts for Unification * Chapter 2. Ambiguous Boundaries of Europe and the European Union * Chapter 3. Construction of 'European Identity' and Its 'Other's * Chapter 4. Social Constructivism and European Identity * Chapter 5. Comparison between Social Constructivism and Essentialism in Terms of Analysing European Identity * Chapter 6. Analysing Construction of European Identity on the Basis of Social Constructivism # PART II. CONSTRUCTION OF EUROPEAN IDENTITY WITHIN THE EUROPEAN UNION * Chapter 7. 'European Identity' and 'EU Identity' * Chapter 8. Civic and Cultural European Identity * Chapter 9.The Construction Process of European Identity within the European Union * Chapter 10. The Role of the Political Elites in Construction of European Identity * Chapter 11. The Role of the Institutions of the European Union in Construction of European Identity * Chapter 12. The Gap between the Elites and the General Public # PART III. TURKEY'S MEMBERSHIP TO THE EUROPEAN UNION AND EUROPEAN IDENTITY * Chapter 13. The Interactions between Turks and Europe * Chapter 14. The Role of European Identity in Turkey-EU Relations * Chapter 15. The Comparison between the Membership of Turkey and the Central and Eastern European Countries * Chapter 16. The Perceptions of the Elites of the European Union about Turkey's Membership in Terms of European Identity * Chapter 17. Public Opinions in the Member States of the European Union about Turkey's Membership * Chapter 18. Discussions on Turkey's Membership in Terms of Compatibility of Islam and European Identity * Chapter 19. The Influence of the Interactions between Turkey and the European Union on the Construction of European Identity * CONCLUSION * BIBLIOGRAPHY