Turkey's Dreams of Accession

The article looks at the role of Turkey in the international community as of September 2004. Turkey is a secular Muslim democracy and a crucial ally for the West. Prime Minister Recep tayyip Erdogan has reaffirmed Turkey's ties to the West by embracing the country's commitment to joining...

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Main Author: Phillips, David L.
Format: Book
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Summary:The article looks at the role of Turkey in the international community as of September 2004. Turkey is a secular Muslim democracy and a crucial ally for the West. Prime Minister Recep tayyip Erdogan has reaffirmed Turkey's ties to the West by embracing the country's commitment to joining the European Union (EU). For the sake of both Turkey and its allies, Erdogan's overtures to the EU must succeed. EU membership would anchor Turkey in the West, fortify it as a firewall against terrorism, and help make it a model of democracy for the Muslim world. rejection, on the other hand, would set back domestic reforms and radicalize religious extremists. In the past decade, Turkey's military leadership has grown increasingly concerned about Islamic fundamentalism, which it believes is an impediment to modernity. Erdogan maintains that religion is a private matter divorced from state affairs and that, although Islam governs his personal conduct, Turkey's staunchly secular constitution is his political reference. He has worked consistently to strengthen Turkey's ties to the West. Turkey will have to overcome the reluctance of European states to accept in their midst a country whose majority population is Muslim.