For more than 50 years, Turkey is waiting at the gates of the European Union (EU). Already in 1963 the European Economic Community (EEC) and Turkey joined an association agreement,
the so-called Ankara Agreement, establishing a common customs union. Since then the country strives for a full membership in the EU, in October 2005 the accession negotiations officially began. Ever since an open debate prevailed within the EU on whether Turkey really belongs in the community or not. Reports of honor killings, forced marriages, restricted freedom of expression and freedom of the press or even the recent Gezipark protests heated up the debate
among politicians, EU citizens as well as the media. In addition to economic, political, geographic and geostrategic arguments for and against the accession of Turkey, especially one issue is highly debated: Does the Turkey culturally fit in the EU?
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. The European identity
2.1 The Uniqueness: Historical Heritage and Christianity
2.2 The Other
2.3 The Nation-state and Secularism
3. The Public Opinion on a Turkish Membership
4. Conclusion
Objectives and Themes
This paper examines the potential membership of Turkey in the European Union through the lens of the European identity debate, exploring whether a predominantly Muslim society fits into the established European self-understanding and how this influences public opinion.
- Construction of European identity and its historical/religious roots.
- The role of the "Other" in shaping European self-definition.
- Impact of the nation-state concept and secularism on EU membership discourse.
- Analysis of public opinion using Eurobarometer data regarding Turkish accession.
- Relationship between cultural perceptions and economic rationality in political debates.
Excerpt from the Book
2.2 The Other
The sense of belonging together or having the same identity is never something natural given, but rather a social construct to justify the cohesion of communities such as nations or states, distancing themselves from other communities. The European identity has always been constructed along ethno-cultural and religious lines to decide who is European and who is not. The theory of Neumann and Welsh “The Other in the European Self-Definition” published in 1991 posits that Europeans distinct themselves referring to cultural or religious aspects.
“The very idea of what Europe was from the beginning is defined partly in terms of what it was not. In other words, the Other, i.e. the non-European barbarian or savage, played a decisive role in the Evolution of the European identity and in the maintenance of order among European states. […] By delineating which areas and values fell beyond the pale of European society, […] European states refashioned their own identity as a cultural whole and were better able to create the rules and institutions distinctive to their own interstate game.”
Consequently it is part of the European Self-understanding that all that is non-European constructs what it is about and historical, ethnic, cultural but especially religious factors seems to construct the Self vs. Other-Identity of the Europe.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: This chapter outlines the historical context of Turkey's association with the EU and introduces the core research question concerning Turkey's cultural fit within the Union.
2. The European identity: This section investigates the theoretical construct of European identity, focusing on historical heritage, religious foundations, and the necessity of defining the "Other" to establish self-cohesion.
2.1 The Uniqueness: Historical Heritage and Christianity: This chapter analyzes how historical events and Christian traditions are utilized as identity markers to define the uniqueness of the European continent.
2.2 The Other: This chapter examines the social construction of identity through the exclusion of the "Other," particularly how Turkey is perceived in contrast to European normative self-understandings.
2.3 The Nation-state and Secularism: This chapter discusses how the Westphalian nation-state model and secularist values function as integral, yet exclusive, pillars of European cultural identity.
3. The Public Opinion on a Turkish Membership: This chapter provides an empirical analysis of Eurobarometer data, illustrating the skeptical attitude of EU citizens toward Turkish accession based on both cultural and economic concerns.
4. Conclusion: The conclusion summarizes that the European identity is a political construct used to manage integration, suggesting that the current rejection of Turkey is more rooted in superficial identity definitions than in definitive analytical incompatibility.
Keywords
European Identity, Turkey, European Union, Accession, Christianity, Secularism, Nation-state, The Other, Eurobarometer, Public Opinion, Cultural Differences, Integration, Enlargement, Self-understanding, Political Identity.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this research paper?
The paper explores the debate surrounding Turkey's potential accession to the European Union, specifically analyzing how the construct of "European identity" influences the perception of Turkey as a candidate.
What central themes are addressed regarding European identity?
The study focuses on the role of historical Christian roots, the concept of the nation-state, and secularism as elements that define European identity and distinguish it from the "Other."
What is the research's primary objective?
The objective is to analyze whether a predominantly Muslim society like Turkey fits into the existing European cultural framework and to understand the public perception of this potential membership.
Which methodology is employed in this study?
The research uses a constructivist approach to analyze the identity discourse, combined with an empirical analysis of data from the Special Eurobarometer 255 and Standard Eurobarometer 64.
What is covered in the main body of the work?
The main body breaks down the ideological components of European identity—such as historical heritage and secularism—and follows this with an examination of empirical public opinion data from 2006 regarding Turkish membership.
What are the key terms that define this work?
Key terms include European identity, Turkey, accession, public opinion, Eurobarometer, secularism, and the construction of the "Other."
How does the author define the role of the "Other" in identity formation?
The author argues that identity is a social construct; therefore, European identity is defined by contrasting itself against external groups, with Turkey often functioning as the "Other" in this demarcation process.
Does the paper conclude whether Turkey should join the European Union?
No, the paper does not make a normative claim on whether Turkey should join; rather, it concludes that the arguments against membership based on identity are often superficial and politically motivated.
What impact did the political climate of 2006 have on public opinion?
The political climate, marked by negative referenda on the European Constitution and debates over the EU budget, significantly contributed to the overall negative public mood regarding further EU enlargement.
- Quote paper
- Anonym (Author), 2014, The Concept of a European Identity. Does Turkey culturally fit to Europe?, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/275938
