EURODIALOGUE
Journal of International Relations, European, Economic and Social Studies
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The reforms required by the EU. This topic is connected to the question of what might be happen if Turkey meets the EU criteria. From a technical point of view, if Turkey fulfils the Copenhagen and other legal and political criteria, then it will deserve to join the EU as a full member state. The question is whether these criteria are politically adequate to offer to Turkey the ticket for its full membership. The answer is no. Why? Turkish accession to the EU falls under the rules of a “power game”. Turkey usually presents itself as a regional power, because it has a big territorial size, a pivotal geostrategic and geopolitical location, the biggest army in Europe and the second largest army in NATO (Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkey, 2008, The Economist 2006). Furthermore, it has the biggest and youngest population in Europe after Germany. For the current period, it scores a high development and growth rate climbing to 8.3% of its GDP, albeit the global system seems to be at the peak of a global crisis (CIA World Factbook 2011). We hope that we are, indeed, at the peak. Otherwise, the existing unpleasant economic situation will become worse. Economic, social, political and institutional cohesion is already under threat and Europe will face more acute social and economic, even political and institutional turbulence in the upcoming period. There are politicians and analysts who publicly support a European political system of “multiple speeds” or “circles”, providing the argument that such a system already de facto exists. The first circle includes the “hard core” of the eurozone, namely the Franco-German axis. The second includes the rich, “triple A” countries and the third one includes those states being under the surveillance of the European Financial Stability Facility (EFSF) (Barker and Spiegel 2001, p4). The fourth circle comprises of those countries which do not belong to eurozone, but they are on their way to join, if they meet the criteria. The last circle is that of Britain and Denmark. Both states have consciously opted to stay out of the eurozone. It was a decision taken in line with their national interests. Thus, the question is whether the institutionalization of a Europe based on a structural “multiple speed” system will keep the EU in cohesion or whether Turkey on the European doorstep
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