Trials of Europeanization: Turkish Political Culture and the European Union

This book examines the impact of improving EU-Turkey relations on Turkish political culture since Turkey became a candidate for EU membership in 1999. While a multi-party political system was introduced in Turkey in 1946, political liberalism was the missing part of Turkeys democratic consolidation. Turkish political culture valued submissiveness toward state authority and did not favor citizen participation. This study evaluates the impact that Turkeys EU-motivated political reform had on civil society, state-society relations, the role of religion in politics and national identity. This leads to an assessment of whether Turkish political culture has become more participant and democratic.

“How has Turkey become the sui generis secular state we know today? In the debate on whether Islam is soluble in the liberal democratic tradition of the West there is often too much rhetoric and too little substance. This timely and important book remedies this state of affairs and more through a thorough investigation of Turkey's political culture focusing on its state tradition and transformation and their gradual adaptation to EU norms. It is a must read for anyone interested in EU-Turkey affairs, be they advocates or critics of Turkish accession.” —Kalypso Nicolaïdis, Director, European Studies Centre, St Antony's College, University of Oxford & University Lecturer in International Relations

"The author gives an admirable comprehensive and highly illuminative insight into the historical development of Turkish political culture with a focus on the impacts of EU-Turkey relations. This book is key to understand today's Turkish political and societal structures." —Cem Özdemir, Member of European Parliament (The Greens/EFA)

“The books reviewed here deal with the relationship between Turkeys accession aspirations, its religious identity and the extensive constitutional changes that have taken place during the last decade. Ioannis Grigoriadis offers a comprehensive analysis in this regard which, in many ways, serves to introduce some of the more specific debates over the AKP and its Europeanization agenda.” —Tim Jacoby, Mediterranean Politics

“This terrific little book, which has more packed into it than the title suggests, is densely written but well worth the effort. The book operates on several levels and is an excellent introduction for nonspecialists to Turkish political culture, history, state, civil society, and national identity….A most rewarding contribution to the discourse on the urgent topic of the EU and Turkey. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduate, graduate, and research collections.” —Choice

Introduction * The Historical Background to the Debate on Turkish Political Culture * Civil Society * The State * The Secularism Debate * Turkish National Identity  * Conclusions: Prospects of Turkish Political Culture