Debates on Turkey's accession to EU

Seminar paper from the year 2009 in the subject Politics - Topic: European Union grade: A- University of Basel (Europainstitut) language: English abstract: Authors have proved hypothesis: Turkey's military capabilities experience in NATO andinternational peace keeping operations and missions could rather strengthen than weakenESDP position. However there are some weaknesses that Turkey faces (focus on 'hard'rather than 'soft' power military is in the process of modernizing underestimated role inpeace keeping operations) Turkey's contribution to ESDP is too significant (stronginvolvement in the missions) and will give more benefits than costs. Furthermore Turkishaccession to the EU would transform strategic challenges of ESDP.51Only five of twenty ESDP peace keeping operations have been of a military nature whichmostly has been held by NATO or UN. When it comes to much bigger military issues theEU avoids taking strategic responsibility and still depends on the NATO to do its 'dirtywork'52. Therefore military stronger EU would give NATO and UN credit that EU is alsoresponsible in the field of crisis management. Such win-win situation would exempt USSecretary's of State Madeleine Albright's the 3 D's: 1) decoupling of ESDP from NATO2) duplication of capabilities 3) discrimination of non-EU NATO members.53 Turkey wouldalso play role of agent between EU and NATO and parties involved will benefit from threelevelgame54 (EU-Turkey-NATO). Therefore it is advantageous and beneficial not only forTurkey but also for the EU and the NATO as well.55Finally last week Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn once more showed that EU wouldnot allow Turkey 'cruise control' on accession.56 Therefore Turkey-EU relations shouldbalance the contributions and benefits of such partnership and show that both partners can beproducers and consumers of security and experience of defence. Such dialogue will prove thatEU can play an important role in CFSP/ESDP