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Turkey Image File history File links File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ...
Turkey is a secular, republican parliamentary democracy. ...
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| Turkey's formal application to join the European Community—the organisation that has since developed into the European Union—was made on April 14, 1987. It was officially recognised as a candidate for membership on December 10, 1999 at the Helsinki summit of the European Council, having been an Associate Member since 1963. It started negotiations on October 3, 2005, a process that is likely to take at least a decade to complete. Its possible future accession is now the central controversy of the ongoing enlargement of the European Union. Wikisource has original text related to this article: Constitution of the Republic of Turkey The Constitution of Turkey was enacted in 1982 during military dictatorship, replacing previous Turkish constitutions enacted in 1876, 1921, 1924, and 1961. ...
There have been ten Presidents of the Republic of Turkey since its inception. ...
Ahmet Necdet Sezer (born September 13, 1941 in Afyon) is the tenth and current President of the Republic of Turkey. ...
This is a chronological list of every government formed by the Prime Ministers of the Republic of Turkey. ...
Recep Tayyip ErdoÄŸan (born February 26, 1954), became Prime Minister of Turkey on March 14, 2003. ...
The Grand National Assembly (Türkiye Büyük Millet Meclisi in Turkish) is the unicameral parliament of Turkey which carries out legislative functions. ...
Political parties in Turkey lists political parties in Turkey. ...
Elections in Turkey gives information on election and election results in Turkey. ...
Provinces of Turkey are called iller in Turkish (singular is il, see Turkish alphabet for capitalization of i). ...
The National Security Council (Milli Güvenlik Kurulu (MGK) in Turkish) is a powerful body that unites the top civilian and military leaders, and issues ‘recommendations’ to the government upon all matters vaguely defined as touching on the security of the state of the Turkish Republic. ...
Turkey is a signatory to the European Convention on Human Rights and the Turkish Constitution guarantees basic human rights to all Turkish citizens. ...
Foreign relations of the Republic of Turkey are primarily with the Western world and its neigboring countries. ...
Turkey is a successor state of the Ottoman Empire, a multi-ethnic empire consolidated by gradual conquest during medieval and early modern times (1300-1700). ...
Information on politics by country is available for every country, including both de jure and de facto independent states, inhabited dependent territories, as well as areas of special sovereignty. ...
The European Community (EC), most important of three European Communities, was originally founded on March 25, 1957 by the signing of the Treaty of Rome under the name of European Economic Community. ...
April 14 is the 104th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (105th in leap years). ...
1987 (MCMLXXXVII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...
December 10 is the 344th day (345th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ...
1999 (MCMXCIX) was a common year starting on Friday, and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ...
Province Southern Finland Region Uusimaa Sub-region Helsinki City manager Jussi Pajunen Official languages Finnish, Swedish Area - total - land ranked 342nd 185. ...
The European Council, informally called the European summit, is a meeting of the heads of state or government of the European Union, and the President of the European Commission. ...
1963 (MCMLXIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (the link is to a full 1963 calendar). ...
October 3 is the 276th day of the year (277th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ...
2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...
The European Union (EU) was originally created by the six founding states in 1952, but has grown to its current size of 25 member states. ...
History Turkey first applied for associate membership in the European Economic Community in 1959, and finally signed an Association Agreement in 1963 (know as the Ankara Agreement). The Agreement sough to integrate Turkey into a customs union with the EEC whilst acknowledging the final goal of membership. In November 1970, a further protocol established a timetable for the abolition of tariffs and quotas on goods traded between Turkey and the EEC. 1980 saw a temporary freeze in relations as a result of the 1980 military coup following political and economic instability, though the recommencement of multiparty elections in 1983 saw Turkish-EEC relations fully restored. The European Community (EC), most important of three European Communities, was originally founded on March 25, 1957 by the signing of the Treaty of Rome under the name of European Economic Community. ...
1959 (MCMLIX) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...
1963 (MCMLXIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (the link is to a full 1963 calendar). ...
On 14 April 1987, Turkey submitted its application for formal membership into the Europeam Community. The European Commision responded in December 1989 with a refusal to begin accesion negotiation. Although confirming Ankara’s eventual membership, Turkey’s economic and political situation, as well its poor relations with Greece and conflict with Cyprus were cited as creating an unfavourable environment with which to being negotiations. This position was confirmed again in the Luxembourg European Council of 1997 in which accession talks were started with central and eastern European states and Cyprus, but not Turkey. April 14 is the 104th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (105th in leap years). ...
1987 (MCMLXXXVII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...
During the 1990s Turkey proceeded with a closer integration with the European Union by agreeing to a customs union in 1995 (in effect since 1996). Moreover the Helsinki European Council of 1999 proved a milestone as the EU recognised Turkey as a firm candidate on equal footing with other potential candidate states. The next significant step in Turkish-EU relationships came with the December 2002 Copenhagen European Council. According to it, "[t]he EU would open negotiations with Turkey 'without delay' if the European Council in December 2004, on the basis of a report and a recommendation from the Commission, decides that Turkey fulfils the Copenhagen political criteria" Seinfeld was a pop cultural phenomenon during the 90s and became one of the most popular TV programs ever. ...
A customs union is a free trade area with a Common External Tariff. ...
1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...
1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty. ...
December 2002 : January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September - October - November - December - → // Events December 31, 2002 United States troops get into a brief gun battle with paramilitary forces of the Warzirstan Scouts of Pakistan, in a remote tribal area along the undefined Afghan/Pakistani border, in Paktia Province...
With the landslide election of the Justice and Development Party (AKP) in 2002, a popular pro-European party with Islamist roots, a number of reforms led to increasing stability both politically and economically. Turkey also took a progressive attitude to the Cyprus problem, strongly supporting the United Nations backed Annan plan in 2004 which attempted to reunited the divided island. The plan was accepted by Turkish Cypriots, but rejected by Greek Cypriots, who were subsequently allowed into the EU as the sole authority on the island. At the same time, a three-decade long period of hyperinflation ended, with inflation being reduced to 6% in recent years from annual levels of 75% during the mid-90s, supplemented by strong economic growth. The Justice and Development Party (Turkish: Adalet ve Kalkınma Partisi or AKP; often referred to in Turkey as the Ak Parti, Ak being Turkish for white, clean, or unblemished) is a Turkish political party. ...
This article is about political Islamism. ...
In economics, hyperinflation is inflation which is out of control, a condition in which prices increase rapidly as a currency loses its value. ...
 Turkey - European Union
(EU after the entry of Romania and Bulgaria in 2007) | Also the political reform program of the Erdoğan government continued. These included the abolition of the death penalty, crackdown on torture, and more rights for its Kurdish population. In response to these developments, the European Commission recommended that the negotiations should begin in 2005, but also added various precautionary measures. The EU's leaders agreed on 16 December 2004 to start accession negotiations with Turkey from 3 October 2005. Despite an attempt by the Austrian government to offer Turkey less than full membership, EU membership negotiations were officially launched. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1098x921, 39 KB) Licensing File links The following pages link to this file: Accession of Turkey to the European Union ...
Recep Tayyip ErdoÄŸan (born February 26, 1954), became Prime Minister of Turkey on March 14, 2003. ...
December 16 is the 350th day of the year (351st in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ...
2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...
October 3 is the 276th day of the year (277th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ...
2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...
Turkeys accession talks have since been dogged by a number of domestic and external problems. Internally it faces increasing nationalism, Kurdish insurgency, and military involvement in politics. Externally, a number of European states such as Austria have made clear their reluctance to allow a large and populous Muslim country into Europe. The issue of Cyprus continues to be a major obstacle to negotiations, with Greek Cypriots using their EU position to pressure Turkey into opening its ports to Cypriot registered vessels, something Turkey considers unacceptable.
A number of European officials have commented on the slow down in Turkish reforms, which combined with the Cyprus problem, has led the EU’s enlargement commissioner to warn of an impeding ‘train crash’ in negotiations with Turkey. Despite these setbacks, Turkey has closed its first chapter in negotiations in June 2006, and through its historical legacy, remains firmly committed to a European orientation.
Arguments used for Turkish membership
 One of a number of posters created to promote the Marshall Plan in Europe, featuring Turkey An important argument in favor is that Turkey has a very dynamic, rapidly modernizing economy. In 2004 and 2005, growth was above 7%, being far above average growth in the EU. Altough the current GNP/inhabitant is still lower then all of the other new EU-countries, the current economic growth rate suggests that in a very few years, Turkey will have overtaken several of these. In addition, Turkey has a very young population. That, combined with the huge size of the country, and it's growth rates, constitutes a major economic dynamism and a huge opportunity for the EU. Image File history File links One of a number of posters created by the Americans to sell the Marshall Plan in Europe. ...
Image File history File links One of a number of posters created by the Americans to sell the Marshall Plan in Europe. ...
Map of Cold-War era Europe showing countries that received Marshall Plan aid. ...
There are alleged double standards in the requisites for Turkish membership. While some refuse Turkey's admission on the grounds of its territory being mostly Asian, Cyprus is also considered to be geographically Asian. Turkey is poor but not significantly more so than Bulgaria and Romania which will in all likelihood be joining in 2007. World map showing the location of Asia. ...
2007 (MMVII) will be a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. ...
Outside Turkey, Atlanticist countries such as the United Kingdom believe that Turkey, having been a staunch NATO ally, would help counteract France's usually independent stance towards the United States. (In non-Atlanticist countries such as France, this is of course seen as an argument against Turkish membership.)
Many in the West believe that Turkish membership would cement its alignment with the West. Turkey is the strongest regional military power that would give the EU more weight in hotspots like Syria, Iraq or Iran. Alternatively some believe that conditional Turkish membership would encourage moves towards more stable economic growth, democratic government and a less interfering military. This could potentially provide a model of democracy for the rest of the Middle East, comparable to the role played by Western Europe in the Cold War. The term Western world or the West can have multiple meanings depending on its context. ...
A common understanding of Western Europe in modern times. ...
The Cold War was the protracted geopolitical, ideological, and economic struggle that emerged after World War II between the global superpowers of the Soviet Union and the United States, supported by their military alliance partners. ...
Turkey also stresses its involvement in European history for about 1000 years, through the Ottoman Empire and as the seat of the Eastern Roman Empire. It considers itself a European state. A prevalent point of view in Turkey, echoed by its prime minister Erdoğan, is that the EU seems to be a "Christian club", although the foundation of the European Union never acclaimed to be on religious grounds. However, this argument appears less strong then the previous ones. Many EU-citizens, mostly non-Christian and quite a few Christian ones, do regard this reasoning as suspicious. They feel it does give a disproportionate weight to a major cultural influence (Judeo-Christian), and that it essentially neglects the overriding politically and juridically neutral and secular nature of the EU. To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...
Imperial motto (Ottoman Turkish) دولت ابد مدت Devlet-i Ebed-müddet (The Eternal State) The Ottoman Empire at the height of its power (1683) Official language Ottoman Turkish Capital Söğüt (1299-1326), Bursa (1326-1365), Edirne (1365-1453), İstanbul (1453-1922) Imperial anthem Ottoman imperial anthem Sovereigns Padishah of the Osmanl...
Byzantine Empire is the term conventionally used to describe the Roman Empire during the Middle Ages, centered around its capital in Constantinople. ...
European Christians who had converted to Islam freely rose to the highest position in the Ottoman Empire. More Grand Viziers were ethnic Albanian, Slav, or Greek devshirmes, rather than Turks. Even the maternal lineage of Ottoman Sultans was equally non-Turkish and Turkish after the first few generations. The Ottomans made key contributions to European culture.[1]. This argument appears not so convincing as it boils down to neglecting the actual discriminations of non-Sunni Muslims. In other words: it looks like using a nice historic argument, because the actual reality in the same fields is negative. Slav may refer to: Slavic peoples, people who indigenously reside in Central Europe, Eastern Europe, the Balkans, and many have later settled in Northern Asia Slav (settlement), an Israeli settlement in the Gaza Strip This is a disambiguation page: a list of articles associated with the same title. ...
Devshirmeh (Turkish devşirme) refers to the system used by the Ottoman sultans to tax newly conquered states, and build a loyal slave army and class of administrators: the Janissaries. ...
The Turks clearly consider their state a strongly secular one, just as the EU defines itself (for example with the abandonment of the proposals to make reference to Europe's Christian heritage in the draft European Constitution). Compared with the neighbouring Arabic Muslim states, this secular character is obvious. However, the severe discriminations of all other religions then the Sunni, of ethnic minorities and of dissenting opinions make it impossible to consider Turkey as 'secular' as meant in the European meaning of the word. Therefore, many consider Turkey as only partially secular. The Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe, commonly referred to as the European Constitution, is an international treaty intended to create a constitution for the European Union. ...
Turkey's overwhelmingly Muslim population would lend considerable weight to EU multi-culturalism efforts and might help to prevent potential scenarios involving a clash of civilizations. At the same time, Turkey's young (23% of population is under 15) and well-educated population might act as a balance for the increasingly aging populations of the current EU. In relation to this, Samuel Huntington regards Turkey as a split country in his book Clash of Civilizations, which could drift off to Islamism and/or nationalism if European integration fails. Cover of The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order The Clash of Civilizations is a controversial theory in international relations popularized by Samuel P. Huntington. ...
Samuel Phillips Huntington (born April 18, 1927) is a political scientist known for his analysis of the relationship between the military and the civil government, his investigation of coup detats, and his thesis that the central political actors of the 21st century will be civilizations rather than nation-states. ...
Cover of The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order The Clash of Civilizations is a controversial theory in international relations popularized by Samuel P. Huntington. ...
This article is about political Islamism. ...
Liberty Leading the People by Eugène Delacroix Nationalism is an ideology that holds that (ethnically or culturally defined) nations are the fundamental units for human social life, and makes certain cultural and political claims based upon that belief; in particular, the claim that the nation is the only legitimate...
Arguments used against Turkish membership Opposition to Turkey's entry into the EU varies among the public of the current EU member states, as does political support or opposition to the entry bid. The issues mentioned by some of those objecting to Turkey's EU candidacy can be divided among those inherent to Turkey's situation, those that involve internal issues about human rights, democracy, and related matters, and those concerning Turkey's open external disputes with its neighbours.
Inherent issues - Possible differences in fundamental values and culture between a predominantly Muslim country (99.8% of the population) with current EU members, all of which are historically Christian. Unlike most EU members, which are increasingly secular, Islam continues to play a major role in daily life in Turkey. This remains an issue even though both Turkey and current EU members claim to be secular because of historical and recent anti-Muslim sentiments in the EU [citation needed].
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- Opponents of Turkish membership sometimes cite as example of this conflict between secular law and religious law the Turkey signature to the 'Cairo Declaration on Human Rights in Islam' (5 August 1990). That declaration has contradictory statements on the equality of and the non-discrimination between sexes as claiming in principle that legal systems should be defined in accordance with Shariah. Furthermore, it states that all matters of universal rights should always be interpreted according to the Quran. However the Turkish courts have held Shariah to be incompatible with democracy, a stand which the European Court of Human Rights on 13 February 2003 fully endorsed. The issue is not an opposition between two religions, but the fact that important segments in Turkish society appear to consider their religious standards as the highest standard, above universal human rights (cfr. Turkey's signature of the Cairo declaration of 1990), whereas the consensus in the EU (all secular states with mainly christians populations, as well as non-christian majorities) imply that secular law goes above all religious standards, and that universal human rights is binding.
- The Turkish government's refusal to officially recognize the state of Cyprus, a current E.U. member, technically nullifies any negotiations and promises made between Turkey and the E.U., and is the greatest obstacle to Turkey's accession to the E.U., much before other issues. This issue alone is of great diplomatic concern because it paradoxically implies that Turkey does not fully recognize the side it is negotiating with. One possible solution, apart from an unlikely change of strategy by the Turkish government, would be the introduction of a bureaucratic or diplomatic circumvention or escamotage, like the E.U. adopting special negotiation rules for Turkey. The other 'solution', or rather outcome, is that the EU prefers to stick with its acquis communautaire, and break down negotiations over Turkey's refusal to accept the existing EU-rules.
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- This argument is often seen as invalid, because hypocritical as Cyprus, another non-European country, albeit with very strong cultural links, was accepted as a member state.
- Turkey's large size and relative poverty. Turkey would upon accession represent an expansion almost equal in population to that of the 2004 Enlargement while the Turkish economy has been known for very unstable growth and sharp recessions despite some recent improvement. Many question whether the EU can support and "absorb" such a large and poor state, and many member states are wary of a potentially huge wave of poor Turkish immigration.
- Turkey's large political power once in the Union. Its almost 70 million inhabitants will bestow it the second largest number of representatives in the European Parliament, after Germany. With the current rate of population increase some fear it might even surpass Germany by the time of accession.
- Note however that members of the European Parliament are divided along ideological lines rather than along national lines. Most national parties of current member states are part of their ideological European party group counterpart. As at the moment, the AKP (as the largest Turkish party) approached the European People's Party, the largest European party group, and was admitted as an observer-member, it is most likely that the AKP will join this party group if Turkey would accede to the EU.
A Muslim (Arabic: مسلم, Turkish: Müslüman, Persian: مسلمان) is an adherent of Islam. ...
Christianity is a monotheistic religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus as recounted in the New Testament. ...
This article concerns secularity, that is, being secular, in various senses. ...
Islamophobia is a neologism that according to the 2003 edition of the New Oxford Dictionary of English refers to hatred or fear of Islam or Muslims, especially as a political force. ...
Sharia (Arabic شريعة also Sharia, Shariah or Syariah) is traditional Islamic law. ...
The Quran (Arabic al-qurʾān أَلْقُرآن; also transliterated as Quran, Koran, and less commonly Alcoran) is the holy book of Islam. ...
European Court of Human Rights building in Strasbourg The European Court of Human Rights, often referred to informally as the Strasbourg Court, was created to systematise the hearing of human rights complaints from Council of Europe member states. ...
February 13 is the 44th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ...
World map showing Europe Political map Europe is one of the seven continents of Earth which, in this case, is more a cultural and political distinction than a physiographic one, leading to various perspectives about Europes borders. ...
World map showing the location of Asia. ...
This is a list of countries bordering the European Union and its predecessor the European Community both at its current geographical extent and after all previous rounds of enlargement. ...
World map showing percentage of people living under national poverty lines. ...
Turkey began a series of reforms in the 1980s designed to shift the economy from a statist, insulated system to a more private-sector, market-based model. ...
The European Parliament building in Strasbourg The inside of the building The European Parliament (formerly European Parliamentary Assembly) is the parliamentary body of the European Union (EU), directly elected by EU citizens once every five years. ...
The Justice and Development Party (Turkish: Adalet ve Kalkınma Partisi or AKP; often referred to in Turkey as the Ak Parti, Ak being Turkish for white, clean, or unblemished) is a Turkish political party. ...
The European Peoples Party (EPP) is the largest European political party. ...
Human rights, democracy, and other internal issues See Human rights in Turkey for details. Turkey is a signatory to the European Convention on Human Rights and the Turkish Constitution guarantees basic human rights to all Turkish citizens. ...
Many have continuing doubts on the commitment of the Turkish state to democracy and human rights, and its ability to reach European standards in these issues as gender equality, political freedom and minority rights (especially as regards the Kurdish population, non-Muslims, and gays and lesbians). Freedom of political speech is another area in which some concerns have arisen (e.g. "Regular Report on Turkey's progress towards accession", p. 36 and others). Feminism is a social theory and political movement primarily informed and motivated by the experience of women. ...
Freedom is the right, or the capacity, of self-determination, as an expression of the individual will. ...
The definition of a minority group can vary, depending on specific context, but generally refers to either a sociological sub-group that does not form either a majority or a plurality of the total population, or a group that, while not necessarily a numerical minority, is disadvantaged or otherwise has...
Kurds are one of the Iranian peoples and speak Kurdish, a north-Western Iranian language related to Persian. ...
A public demonstration Freedom of speech is the concept of being able to speak freely without censorship. ...
- Opinions critical of the strongly nationalistic line are regularly prosecuted. Article 301/1 of the Turkish penal code, which is perceived as being contrary to ideas of freedom of speech, states:
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- "A person who explicitly insults being a Turk, the Republic or Turkish Grand National Assembly, the penalty to be imposed shall be imprisonment for a term of six months to three years." and "When insulting being a Turk is committed by a Turkish citizen in a foreign country, the penalty to be imposed shall be increased by one third."
- There have been recent indications [2] that Turkey may abandon or modify Article 301, after the embarrassment suffered by the prosecution of its most famous novelist, Orhan Pamuk, after mentioning the massacres of Armenians in 1915 and the number of dead resulting from the war with the Kurdistan Workers Party. The prosecutions have largely been initiated by nationalists within the Judicial system, intent on derailing the accession process. [3]
- Turkey's treatment of the Kurdish people and other indigenous populations is also of concern. Some decry the recent recognition of the Kurdish language by Turkish authorities as a cosmetic operation. Kurdish education is provided through only a few private local courses, while television in Kurdish is only for half an hour a week and under the monopoly of the state broadcasting corporation TRT.
- Discrimination of gays and transgender people appears still widespread. This has several aspects. [4]
- Turkey is one of two states (with Azerbaijan) among the 46 members of the Council of Europe which has refused to recognise the status of conscientious objectors or give them an alternative to military service[5].
- The issue of church and state separation and discrimination of non-Sunni Muslims is another concern. Mainstream Hanafi school of Sunni Islam continues to enjoy large-scale privileges in Turkey, with thousands of imams in state employment, while Turkish clerics from other religions are not paid at all. Some current members however are also open to criticism on these grounds. In the United Kingdom the law forbids the head of state from being a Catholic and there are number of state-financed faith schools.
The Greek Orthodox Church has not yet been able to re-open the Theological School of Halki as has been its request. Turkey also continues to post state-financed imams to regions of EU member states (both to those where the local minority of Turkish origin requests one and those that prefer locally trained imams). Some EU citizens resent this as interference in the domestic affairs of their states. Others note that those imams have a rather poor knowledge and understanding of the legal, institutional and social organization of the country where they're send to, and a sometimes dubious respect for their secular and democratic values. Moreover, some religious traditions and religiously motivated changes in general policy are a concern, as they may be at odds with official equality policy: Orhan Pamuk posing with his most popular book My Name is Red. ...
This article or section seems not to be written in the formal tone expected of an encyclopedia entry. ...
The Kurds (Old: Card-uchians [14]) are a people indigenous to a geocultural region commonly referred to as Kurdistan (a contiguous region including adjacent parts of Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Turkey). ...
It has been suggested that coercive monopoly be merged into this article or section. ...
Corporate logo of the Turkish Radio-Television Corporation Old Corporate logo, 1980s-2001 // Introduction The Turkish Radio and Television Corporation (Türkiye Radyo Televizyon Kurumu, TRT), founded in 1964, is a national publicly-funded broadcaster based in Turkey. ...
A conscientious objector is a person whose beliefs are incompatible with military service - perhaps with any role in the armed forces (in which case he or she is either pacifist or antimilitarist) - or who objects to a particular war. ...
The separation of church and state is a political doctrine which states that the institutions of the state or national government should be kept separate from those of religious institutions. ...
Hanafi (Arabic: ØÙ†ÙÙ‰ ) is one of the four schools (madhabs) of jurisprudence (Fiqh) or religious law within Sunni Islam. ...
Sunni Muslims are the largest denomination of Islam. ...
Imam (Arabic: إمام , Persian: امام ) is an Arabic word meaning Leader. The ruler of a country might be called the Imam, for example. ...
A cleric is: A member of the clergy of a religion, especially one that has trained or ordained priests, preachers, or other religious professionals; or A member of a character class in Dungeons & Dragons and similar fantasy role-playing games. ...
The Electress Sophia The Act of Settlement (12 & 13 Wm 3 c. ...
Pentecost is considered in Eastern Orthodoxy to be the birth of the Church. ...
Halki (Turkish: Heybeliada) is a Turkish island, one of the Princes Islands in the Sea of Marmara. ...
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- For example the continued consecration of polygamous marriages by state-paid imams is incompatible with the EU's insistence on equal rights for women.
- Although the claims of the Alevi minority have become more vocal in recent years, the Turkish state continues its policy of building mosques in Alevi villages and sending Sunni imams.
- Recently, the AKP government tried to introduce provisions in penal law that make 'un-Islamic behaviour' -as seen as such by the orthodox Sunni Muslims- a criminal offence for every person, regardless of his religion. Some of these attempts succeeded, others were blocked by the fervently secular president.
- Important groups in the European Parliament have urged Turkey to recognize the Armenian deaths in the Ottoman Empire during World War I as genocide, see Armenian Genocide. Turkey denies responsibility, stating that the events were part of a civil war during the final years of the Ottoman Empire. However, the huge number of civil casualties makes this line of reasoning unconvincing. Recognition of the events as genocide is not a formal prerequisite for entry, with other EU members still not recognising the events as such. On the other hand, official recognition for 'certain' Turkey's responsibility might contribute to a decrease in the current distrust in the EU.
To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...
Alevis in Turkey Alevis (Turkish: Alevîler) are adherents of a branch of Islam related to Shia Islam and practised mainly in Turkey. ...
The Badshahi Masjid in Lahore, Pakistan with an iwan at center, three domes, and five visible minarets A mosque is a place of worship for followers of the Islamic faith. ...
The European Parliament building in Strasbourg The inside of the building The European Parliament (formerly European Parliamentary Assembly) is the parliamentary body of the European Union (EU), directly elected by EU citizens once every five years. ...
Armenian Genocide victims The Armenian Genocide (also known as the Armenian Holocaust or the Armenian Massacre) refers to the forced mass evacuation and related deaths of hundreds of thousands or over a million Armenians, during the government of the Young Turks from 1915 to 1917 in the Ottoman Empire. ...
A civil war is a war in which parties within the same culture, society or nationality fight for political power or control of an area. ...
Imperial motto (Ottoman Turkish) دولت ابد مدت Devlet-i Ebed-müddet (The Eternal State) The Ottoman Empire at the height of its power (1683) Official language Ottoman Turkish Capital Söğüt (1299-1326), Bursa (1326-1365), Edirne (1365-1453), İstanbul (1453-1922) Imperial anthem Ottoman imperial anthem Sovereigns Padishah of the Osmanl...
Relations with neighbours - The Cyprus dispute—the island is still divided after Turkey's 1974 invasion of the island following a Greek coup d'etat against the Cypriot government. Turkey refuses to acknowledge the Republic of Cyprus (an EU member), located in the South, as the sole authority on the island, but instead recognises the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus in the North. Turkey and Turkish Cypriots, for 30 years rejected all UN-proposals, but suddenly backed the 2004 Annan plan aimed at reunification of the island, but was subsequently rejected by Greek Cypriots on the grounds that it did not meet their needs. That the latest proposal included maintained residence rights for the many Anatolian Turks that were brought to Cyprus after the invasion and their descendants, and that Greek-Cypriots who lost their property after the Turkish invasion would not be compensated for their losses probably played a role in these recent sudden change of positions.
- The Aegean dispute, a series of unresolved geostrategic issues in the Aegean Sea between Greece (a present EU member) and Turkey, which are sources of a great number of military provocations between those two countries.
- The economic embargo and closure of land border crossings currently maintained against Armenia (due to the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh). Turkey supports Azerbaijan’s claims to Nagorno-Karbakh and views the situation as an occupation of Azeri land. EU reports 3, p.8 state that Turkey should take active measures to resolve this situation before eventual accession, while then-President of the Commission, Romano Prodi said: "Personally, I do not like that the Armenian-Turkish border gate is closed. I do not exclude that the issue of closed borders could be one of the preconditions for Turkey's membership." [6]
- For the above reasons, Turkey has insisted that the route of the lucrative Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline bypass Armenian territory. Critics point out that this policy of embargo and isolation of a smaller neighbour is inconsistent with Turkey's desire to join the open European Community.
The Cyprus Dispute is the conflict between Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots and also Republic of Cyprus and Turkey over Cyprus, an island in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. ...
1974 (MCMLXXIV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (the link is to a full 1974 calendar). ...
A coup détat, or simply a coup, is the sudden overthrow of a government, usually done by a small group that just replaces the top power figures. ...
Political status de facto: Independent de jure: Recognized only by Turkey Official language Turkish Capital Lefkoşa (Nicosia) , Founder Rauf Denktaş President Mehmet Ali Talat Prime Minister Ferdi Sabit Soyer House Speaker Fatma Ekenoğlu Area - Total - % water 3,355 km² 2. ...
The Annan Plan was a United Nations proposal to bring about the reunification of the divided island nation of Cyprus as the United Cyprus Republic. ...
The Aegean Sea The term Aegean dispute refers to a set of interrelated controversial issues between Greece and Turkey over sovereignty and related rights in the area of the Aegean Sea. ...
The Aegean Sea. ...
Nagorno-Karabakh (Azerbaijani: Dağlıq Qarabağ or Yuxarı Qarabağ, literally mountainous black garden or upper black garden; Russian: Нагорный Карабах, translit. ...
(born 9 August 1939) is a centre-left Italian politician. ...
The Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline (sometimes abbreviated as BTC pipeline) transports crude oil 1,760 km (1,094 miles) from the Azeri-Chirag-Guneshli oil field in the Caspian Sea to the Mediterranean Sea. ...
Effect on the future direction of the EU Turkey’s entry into the EU will have profound consequences on the future direction of the EU. - Many believe that the inclusion of such a large country with a different culture and poor economy might make it extremely difficult for the EU to deepen its integration, and might force it to be reduced to a simple zone of economic cooperation. This is something that is considered a benefit by many eurosceptics who want the EU to structurally remain as is or even revert to an earlier state, being mainly an economic free market project and not a wider political and cultural project, but the opposite view is espoused by the European federalists.
- Turkey is a traditionally Atlanticist and NATO country, with very close ties to the United States. The USA has also been one of the strongest backers of Turkey's membership. Some member states, like France, wish the EU to increase its political independence from the United States and therefore believe Turkish membership is undesirable. Atlanticist countries, however, like the United Kingdom, would see their positions strengthened.
A free market is an idealized market, where all economic decisions and actions by individuals regarding transfer of money, goods, and services are voluntary, and are therefore devoid of coercion and theft (some definitions of coercion are inclusive of theft). Colloquially and loosely, a free market economy is an economy...
Atlanticism is a philosophy of cooperation among European and North American nations regarding political, economic, and defense issues. ...
NATO 2002 Summit in Prague The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, the Atlantic Alliance or the Western Alliance, is an international organisation for collective security established in 1949, in support of the North Atlantic Treaty signed in Washington, DC, on 4 April 1949. ...
This article needs to be updated. ...
Likelihood of accession
Official point of view EU member states must unanimously agree to Turkish membership for Turkish accession to be successful. A number of nations could oppose it, notably Austria, which historically served as a bulwark for Christian Europe against the Ottoman Empire, and France, which is fearful of the prospect of another wave of Muslim immigrants (especially given the poor integration of its existing, mainly Arab, Muslim minority). A page of fanciful balusters Arcade a passage or walkway covered over by a succession of arches or vaults supported by columns. ...
Imperial motto (Ottoman Turkish) دولت ابد مدت Devlet-i Ebed-müddet (The Eternal State) The Ottoman Empire at the height of its power (1683) Official language Ottoman Turkish Capital Söğüt (1299-1326), Bursa (1326-1365), Edirne (1365-1453), İstanbul (1453-1922) Imperial anthem Ottoman imperial anthem Sovereigns Padishah of the Osmanl...
The Arabs (Arabic: عرب ) are an ethnic group found throughout the Middle East and North Africa. ...
- French President Jacques Chirac, a supporter of the accession of Turkey into the EU, had to agree that the amendment to the French constitution authorizing the ratification of the proposed European Constitution [7] contains a clause saying that a referendum is required before France can give its approval to Turkey or other future candidates to the European Union (the amendment excludes states that have already signed agreements). [8] Some politicians opposed to the constitutional treaty, such as Philippe de Villiers, argued that the treaty paved the way to Turkish membership, which they deem highly undesirable.
- Austrian Chancellor Wolfgang Schüssel has said that he may hold a referendum on the issue. Recently, Austrian President Heinz Fischer has strongly suggested a pan-European referendum on the issue, given its great importance for the future of the EU. Recent Greek governments supported Turkish membership hoping that Turkey would soften up its stance in a number of issues of conflict between Turkey and Greece during the process of and after joining EU. However, opinion polls from the end of December 2004 show that opposition is twice as strong among ordinary Greeks as support.
Developments within Turkey could also freeze accession talks—such as interference of the sceptical military in civilian rule, the rise to power of a hard-line Islamic or nationalist government, or the current government failing to prove its willingness to respect the acquis communautaire. The President of France, known officially as the President of the Republic (Président de la République in French), is Frances elected Head of State. ...
Jacques René Chirac (born November 29, 1932), French politician, is President of the French Republic. ...
The current Constitution of France was adopted on October 4, 1958, and has been amended 17 times, most recently on March 28, 2003. ...
The Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe, commonly referred to as the European Constitution, is an international treaty intended to create a constitution for the European Union. ...
Philippe de Villiers Philippe de Villiers (born March 25, 1949 as Viscount Philippe le Jolis de Villiers de Saintignon) is a French conservative politician. ...
The Federal Chancellor of Austria (Bundeskanzler) is the head of government in Austria. ...
Wolfgang Schüssel Wolfgang Schüssel (born on June 7, 1945 in Vienna, Austria) is a Christian Democratic Austrian politician. ...
A referendum (plural: referendums or referenda) or plebiscite (from Latin plebiscita, a decree of the Concilium Plebis) is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. ...
The Leopoldine Wing of Hofburg Imperial Palace in Vienna: home to the offices of the Federal President. ...
Heinz Fischer (born 9 October 1938) is the federal president of Austria. ...
Opinion polls are surveys of opinion using sampling. ...
The European Parliament has voted overwhelmingly in favour of Turkish membership talks.[9]
Public opinion Public opinion in EU countries generally opposes Turkish membership, though with varying degrees of intensity. The Eurobarometer May-June 2005 survey shows that 52% of EU citizens are against Turkey joining the EU, while about 35% are in favour. Citizens from the new member states are more in favour of Turkey joining (48% in favour) than the old EU-15 (32% in favour). The country whose population most strongly opposes Turkish membership is Austria (pro: 10%, con: 80%), while Finland (pro:75%, con: 16%) is the population that supports Turkish accession the most. Eurobarometer is a survey performed by Public Opinion Analysis sector of the European Commission since 1973. ...
Individual opinions and quotes
Opinions - Notable individuals that oppose Turkish membership:
-
- Notable individuals that support Turkish membership:
-
Willy Claes (born November 24, 1938) was Secretary General of NATO and a Belgian politician. ...
Karel Van Miert (b. ...
Socialism refers to a broad array of doctrines or political movements that envisage a socio-economic system in which property and the distribution of wealth are subject to social control. ...
Handshake between Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Drnovšek, on the right, and Jacques Delors Jacques Lucien Jean Delors (born July 20, 1925, in Paris, France) is a French economist and politician, who served three terms as President of the European Commission from 1985-1995. ...
François-Xavier Ortoli, Romano Prodi, José Manuel Barroso and Jacques Delors The President of the European Commission is notionally the highest ranking unelected official within the European Union bureaucracy. ...
This article needs to be updated. ...
The Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe, commonly referred to as the European Constitution, is an international treaty intended to create a constitution for the European Union. ...
Angela Dorothea Merkel (pronounced //), born in Hamburg, Germany on July 17, 1954 is the current Chancellor of Germany. ...
Anthony Charles Lynton Blair (born 6 May 1953) is the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, First Lord of the Treasury, Minister for the Civil Service and MP for Sedgefield. ...
Joschka Fischer Joseph Martin Joschka Fischer (born April 12, 1948) was German foreign minister and Vice Chancellor in the government of Gerhard Schröder from 1998 to 2005. ...
Jacques René Chirac (born November 29, 1932), French politician, is President of the French Republic. ...
Quotes "In my opinion, it would be the end of Europe."—Valéry Giscard d'Estaing (former President of France, drafter of the European Constitution), 8 November 2002. This article needs to be updated. ...
November 8 is the 312th day of the year (313th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 53 days remaining. ...
For album titles with the same name, see 2002 (album). ...
"Turkey has always been associated with European civilisation, and it is an important and loyal member of the Atlantic alliance. It is in our political interest to have a modern, stable, democratic Turkey which has made the choice of secularism since 1924, a Turkey agreeing to share our aims and values."—French President Jacques Chirac, April 29, 2004 Jacques René Chirac (born November 29, 1932), French politician, is President of the French Republic. ...
April 29 is the 119th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (120th in leap years). ...
2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...
"The agreement to start talks with Turkey will probably displease Mr Osama bin Laden, who has done everything to prevent this moment arriving". Diogo Freitas do Amaral (Portuguese Foreign Minister) [10] Osama bin Laden UsÄmah bin Muhammad bin Awad bin LÄdin (Arabic: ‎; born March 10, 1957 [1]), most commonly known as Osama bin Laden or Usama bin Laden (أسامة بن لادن) is an Islamic fundamentalist militant, a primary founder of the al-Qaeda Islamic organization and a member of the immensely wealthy...
Diogo Pinto de Freitas do Amaral (b. ...
See also The Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline (sometimes abbreviated as BTC pipeline) transports crude oil 1,760 km (1,094 miles) from the Azeri-Chirag-Guneshli oil field in the Caspian Sea to the Mediterranean Sea. ...
The Cyprus Dispute is the conflict between Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots and also Republic of Cyprus and Turkey over Cyprus, an island in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. ...
Turkeys primary political, economic, and security ties are with the Western world. ...
Relations between Greece and Turkey have been marked by alternating periods of mutual hostility and reconciliation ever since Greece won its independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1832. ...
Turkey is a signatory to the European Convention on Human Rights and the Turkish Constitution guarantees basic human rights to all Turkish citizens. ...
The Ilisu Dam Campaign is a UK based campaign working to stop the construction of the Ilisu dam on the river Tigris in south east Turkey. ...
To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...
External links - ABHaber.com (EU Turkey News Network) daily updated news and analysis on EU and Turkey
- Europe and Turkey must get ready to go back to the futureTurkey’s rich history is no bar to its EU membership bid, argue Katleen Maes and Khaled Diab in the European Voice
- Regime change, European-style, is a measure of our civilisation
- Failure of the talks 'would betray Turks and Europe'
- Time to talk to Turkey
- The case for Turkey
- We need Turkey
- We must not turn our back on our best Muslim ally
- Turkey and the European Union
- "Turkey accused of torturing mentally disabled," AFP, 9/28/2005
- The COE's Framework Convention for the Protection of national Minorities
- EU report on Issues arising from Turkey's membership perspective
- "Turkey-EU Relations: If Turkey Says No!"
- Human Rights Watch on Turkey
- Foreign Affairs - Turkey's Dreams of Accession
- Foreign Affairs - Talking Turkey (Discussion about Turkish Accession)
- BBC Have Your Say - Should Turkey Join the EU? (Moderated public discussion concerning primarily English-speaking opinion concerning Turkish Accession)
- Greece's Shifting Position on Turkish Accession to the EU Before and After Helsinki (1999)
- Freedom of Expression in Turkey - IFEX
- EUROPE’S REASONS AND TURKEY’S ACCESSION (ARI)
- "Middle East Needs Turkey's EU Membership", Ayse Hakim, JTW
- ZEI EU-Turkey-Monitor - Newsletter to monitor accession negotiations
- "U.S. Diplomat: Turkey's EU Aspirations Can Inspire Muslims", Vince Crawley, The Washington File
- "If Turkey Says No?", Sedat Laciner
- Good Reasons to Say NO to Turkey
- European Press Review: E.U. Snubs Turkey (Views about Turkish EU membership from London, Paris, Frankfurt, Athens, Berlin, Munich, Vienna, Hamburg, Turin, and Zurich)
- "Turkey Apprehensive Over EU Crises", by Jonathan Gorvett, Aljazeera
- Turn the Page, but Read It First: Why Europe and Turkey Must Now Address the Armenian Genocide
- The Cairo Declaration on Human Rights in Islam
- http://www.soros.org/resources/articles_publications/publications/turkey_2004901/english.pdf
- "Turkey's EU Membership's Impacts on Islamic World", No Peace Without Justice, NPWJ
- 20 Myths and Facts about Enlargement (Official EU website)
- The Political Criteria of Copenhagen and their application to Turkey
- The Annan Plan and the Implantation of Turkish Settlers in the Occupied Territory of Cyprus Highlights problems in the Turkey-Cyprus relationship.
The International Freedom of Expression eXchange (IFEX), founded in 1992, is a global network of more than 60 Non-governmental organisation that promotes and defends the right to freedom of expression. ...
The European Union (EU) is an intergovernmental and supranational union of 25 democratic member states from the European continent. ...
The European Union (EU) was originally created by the six founding states in 1952, but has grown to its current size of 25 member states. ...
Image File history File links European_flag. ...
Motto: Czech: Pravda vÃtÄ›zà (English: Truth prevails) Anthem: Kde domov můj Capital Prague Largest city Prague Official language(s) Czech Government Republic - President Václav Klaus - Prime Minister Jiřà Paroubek Formation 9th century - Independence from Austria-Hungary October 28, 1918 - Split of Czechoslovakia January 1, 1993 Accession...
Motto: Dieu et mon droit (Royal motto; French for God and my right) 3 Anthem: God Save the Queen4 Capital London Most populous conurbation London Official language(s) English (de facto 5) Government Constitutional monarchy - Queen HM Queen Elizabeth II - Prime Minister The Rt Hon Tony Blair MP Establishment January...
January 1 is the first day of the calendar year in both the Julian and Gregorian calendars. ...
2007 (MMVII) will be a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. ...
2008 (MMVIII) will be a leap year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...
Motto: (English: ) Anthem: (Transliteration: ) (English: ) Capital Skopje Largest city Skopje Official language(s) Macedonian, Albanian1 Government Parliamentary republic - President Branko Crvenkovski - Prime Minister Vlado BuÄkovski Independence From Yugoslavia - Declared September 8, 1991 Area - Total 25,333 km² (146th) 9,779 sq mi - Water (%) 1. ...
This article is about the country in Europe. ...
Motto: none Anthem: Bože Pravde Capital Belgrade Largest city Belgrade Official language(s) Serbian1 Government Republic - President Boris Tadić - Prime Minister Vojislav Koštunica Independence - From the Ottoman Empire July 13, 1878 - Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes formed December 1, 1918 - FR Yugoslavia formed April 28, 1992 - Serbia...
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