Turkey and the EU - the inner-Turkish debate : conflicting ideologies, harmonization and change

In autumn 2003, Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan declared: “The European Union is our national goal”. Since Spring 2002, two extensive constitutional amendments and eight harmonization packages, which imply fundamental changes in domestic policy and throughout Turkish society, were enforced. Prior to the start of the EU accession negotiations in October 2005 two thirds of the Turkish population supported the country’s accession to the EU. Since then the rate dropped to 60%, but the consensus is still very high. Traditionally, Turkish reform projects were geared toward Europe’s development. This alone, however, can neither sufficiently explain the high support for EU membership among the public nor the speed and scope of legal reforms undertaken by the government. Both must be seen also against the backdrop of three important events in recent years.