Author(s): Samet ZENGÄ°NOÄLU
Turkey-European Union (EU) relations have a history of half century. Though this process has involved problems/crises due to political or economic factors in some periods, there has been a continuity in the relations in essence. This continuity has included a process of progress from the first application to full membership negotiations. In this regard, one of the primary turning points in the Turkey-EU relations is the full membership application process with an important step taken. One point making this application process important is that it was launched in the period of Turgut Özal, who is one of the much-debated figures/actors within the context of Turkish political life and Turkish foreign policy. He left remarkable marks on Turkish (foreign) policy with his steps, moves, and discourses in economic and political fields within the framework of the relations shaped by economy-oriented policies and the construction of a multilateral foreign policy. These marks, undoubtedly, have influenced Turkey’s application for full membership to the European Community (EC) -currently called European Union-. In this respect, the purpose of this study is to analyze Turkey’s application process for full membership to the European Community by considering the historical depth and continuity of the relations and the basic parameters of the Turkish foreign policy and view of Europe in the period of Özal.
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