Trials of Europeanization : Turkish Political Culture and the European Union

This book provides a comprehensive evaluation of the impact of improving EU-Turkey relations on Turkish political culture. It also comprises a succinct overview of Turkey's most reaching reform process since Ataturk. This book provides a comprehensive evaluation of the impact of improving EU-Turkey relations on Turkish political culture. It also comprises a succinct overview of Turkey's most reaching reform process since Ataturk "How has Turkey become the sui generis secular state we know today? In the debate on whether Islam is soluble in the liberal democratic tradition of the West there is often too much rhetoric and too little substance. This timely and important book remedies this state of affairs and more through a thorough investigation of Turkey's political culture focusing on its state tradition and transformation and their gradual adaptation to EU norms. It is a must read for anyone interested in EU-Turkey affairs, be they advocates or critics of Turkish accession."--Kalypso Nicolaidis, Director, European Studies Centre, St Antony's College, University of Oxford & University Lecturer in International Relations "The author gives an admirable comprehensive and highly illuminative insight into the historical development of Turkish political culture with a focus on the impacts of EU-Turkey relations. This book is key to understand today's Turkish political and societal structures."--Cem Ozdemir, Member of European Parliament (The Greens/EFA) This book examines the impact of improving EU-Turkey relations on Turkish political culture since Turkey became a candidate for EU membership in 1999. While a multi-party political system was introduced in Turkey in 1946, political liberalism was the missing part of Turkey's democratic consolidation. Turkish political culture valued submissiveness toward state authority and did not favor citizen participation. This study evaluates the impact that Turkey's EU-motivated political reform had on civil society, state-society relations, the role of religion in politics and national identity. This leads to an assessment of whether Turkish political culture has become more participant and democratic Cover 1 Contents 6 List of Figures 7 Foreword 8 Acknowledgments 9 Abbreviations 10 1 Introduction: Methodological Considerations 12 2 The Historical Background to the Debate on Turkish Political Culture 32 3 Civil Society 52 4 The State 76 5 The Secularism Debate 106 6 Turkish National Identity 134 7 Conclusions: Prospects of Turkish Political Culture 165 Postscript 191 Notes 194 Index 235 A 235 B 235 C 235 D 235 E 236 G 236 H 236 I 236 K 236 L 236 M 237 N 237 O 237 P 237 R 238 S 238 T 238 U 239 V 239 W 239 Y 239 Front Matter....Pages i-xvi Introduction: Methodological Considerations....Pages 1-20 The Historical Background to the Debate on Turkish Political Culture....Pages 21-40 Civil Society....Pages 41-64 The State....Pages 65-94 The Secularism Debate....Pages 95-122 Turkish National Identity....Pages 123-153 Conclusions Prospects of Turkish Political Culture....Pages 155-180 Postscript....Pages 181-183 Back Matter....Pages 185-231