Turkey's Accession to the European Union: The Politics of Exclusion?
Edel Hughes - Routledge 2011
Turkey's accession to the European Union is undoubtedly one of the Union's
most contested potential enlargements. The narrative that dominates the debate
surrounding this issue primarily relates to problems such as a lack of respect
for fundamental human rights in Turkey, the Kurdish question and the continuing
stalemate concerning northern Cyprus. This book looks at these issues, but also
proposes that a review of Turkey's experience with the EU in its numerous
incarnations suggests that these concerns may mask a deeper disquiet. Whilst
there are several questions that Turkey must address, particularly in the area
of human rights guarantees, the concerns which raise debates regarding Turkish
membership are not issues that are unique to Turkey. Turkey's EU experience also
raises fundamental questions about religion and the EU project that have greater
implication than simply Turkish accession. Through the lens of the Turkish
example, this book addresses these broader questions, such as the nature of
European 'identity', Europe's Christian past, the limits of pluralism and the
fundamental question of religion in the European public sphere. This book will
be of great interest to those engaged in research on European law and politics
at undergraduate or postgraduate level. It is also aimed at academics with an
interest in human rights and the European Union and with a regional interest in
Turkey.
