EU-ization matters: changes in immigration and asylum practices in Turkey

Abstract

Turkey’s transformation over the course of the last two decades into a land of immigration is one of the most significant features of its recent history and very much an issue of debate in the European Union (EU). As Turkey has been increasingly confronted with large-scale immigration and asylum flows, this relatively new migration phenomenon has had a number of social, economic and political implications, not only for the country, but also in the wider context of Europe (İçduygu 2004: 93; 2003: 7; Kirişçi 2002: 7–10). In particular, the EU’s Helsinki decisions of December 1999, which declared the candidacy of Turkey to the EU membership, brought forward new questions and concerns in the area of immigration policies and practices in Turkey. One of the most widely debated issues in this context is the ‘management of migration and asylum flows’ arriving in the country, and in particular the question of how Turkey’s state institutions and legal frameworks would handle the phenomena of immigration and asylum. These debates have made clear that the health and stability of Turkey’s Integration into the EU depend not only on the economic, social and political transformations in the country, but also on specific policy matters. This chapter addresses the transformation of national immigration policies and practices in Turkey with regard to the role played by the EU’s promotion of the notion of ‘migration management’ in the process of European integration.