Diplomacy and Lobbying During Turkey’s Europeanisation : The Private Life of Politics

Turkey’s Europeanisation saga, which began in 1959 and climaxed in 2005 with the opening of membership negotiations with the European Union (EU), presents a unique opportunity to understand how interstate actors negotiate their interests; what ‘common interests’ look like from their historically and culturally contingent perspectives; and what happens when actors work for their private, professional, public, personal or institutional interests, even when those interests may go against their mandate. Honing in on the role of diplomats and lobbyists during negotiations for Turkey’s contentious EU membership bid, this book presents intricate, backstage conflicts of power and interests and negotiations of compromises, which drove this candidate country both closer to and farther from the EU. The reader will find in the book the everyday actors and agents of Turkish Europeanisation and learn what their work entails, which interests they represent and how they do what they do. Based on long-term ethnographic fieldwork in Brussels, the book argues that public, private and corporate actors, voicing economic, political and bureaucratic interests from all corners of Europe, sought access to markets and polities through the Turkish bid instead of pursuing their mandate of facilitating Turkey’s EU accession. Although limited progress was achieved in Turkey’s actual EU integration, diplomats and lobbyists from both sides of the negotiating table contradictorily affirmed their expertise as effective negotiators, seeking more status and power. This is the first book-length account of the EU–Turkey power-interest negotiations in situ, from the perspective of its long-term actors and agents. How do interstate actors negotiate their interests? What do 'common interests' look like from their historically and culturally contingent perspectives? What happens when actors work for their private, professional, public, personal or institutional interests, even when those interests go against their mandate? Honing in on the role of diplomats and lobbyists during negotiations for Turkey's contentious EU membership bid, this book presents intricate, backstage conflicts of power and interests and negotiations of compromises, which drove this candidate country both closer to and farther apart from the EU. Based on long-term ethnographic fieldwork in Brussels, this first book-length account of Turkish Europeanisation argues that public, private and corporate actors voicing economic, political and bureaucratic interests from all corners of Europe sought access to markets and polities through the Turkish bid instead of facilitating Turkey's EU accession, earning recognition and power Part I. Inside The Private Life Of Politics. The Elephant In The Room -- Fieldwork Among The No(ta)bles -- Part Ii. Framing Eu Membership. The Accession Pedagogy -- Part Iii. Arts Of Diplomacy And Lobbying In The Eu Institutions. Enlargement, Twice A Week -- Dramas Of Statecraft, Mistrust And The Politics Of Non-membership -- Political Documents And Bureaucratic Entrepreneurs -- Conclusion : Lessons From An Anti-case. Bilge Firat. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Electronic Reproduction. Baltimore, Md Available Via World Wide Web. Front matter Dedication Contents List of figures Series editor’s preface Preface Acknowledgements Part I: Inside the private life of politics The elephant in the room Fieldwork among the no(ta)bles Part II: Framing EU membership The accession pedagogy Part III: Arts of diplomacy and lobbying in the EU institutions Enlargement, twice a week Dramas of statecraft, mistrust and the politics of non-membership Political documents and bureaucratic entrepreneurs Conclusion: lessons from an anti-case References Index This book presents intricate, backstage negotiations of interests and compromises between diplomats and lobbyists through the corridors of power, which drove Turkey both closer to and farther apart from the EU.