Domestic politics, international norms and challenges to the state: Turkey-EU relations in the post-Helsinki era

Abstract

Developments in Turkish politics following the endorsement of Turkey's candidacy for full membership at the EU's Helsinki summit of December 1999 underline the significant role that the EU can play as a catalyst for change and reform in candidate countries. The essay draws attention to the emergence of a "pro-EU coalition" in Turkey during the post-Helsinki era and highlights the formidable barriers on the path to Turkey's full membership given the presence of a powerful and vocal "anti-EU coalition." A central argument of this piece is that the EU can help in overcoming the existing stalemate and shift the balance in favor of the proEU coalition through an improved mix of conditions and incentives as it has done so effectively in other national contexts.