International Organizations

European Union

In 1963, Turkey was admitted to the European Community (EC) as an associate member. Since then it has sought to upgrade its status to full member in what has become the EU, which has a stronger political identity than its predecessor. Accession talks began in 2005. Major stumbling blocks include Turkey’s unwillingness to develop transportation links with Cyprus, now an EU member. Greece brought the issue before the EU body when it successfully argued that progress in resolving the future of Cyprus should precede acceptance of Turkey as a full member. In addition, Turkey has not fulfilled the EU requirements for freedom of expression, which is embodied in the political reform and rights of the Kurdish minority.

The widespread suspicion among Turks is that Europeans are in fact apprehensive about a Muslim nation joining a Christian club. Though it has not been publicly acknowledged, there is some truth to this perception. One concern that is openly debated, however, is the potential impact of migration, given Turkey’s relatively underdeveloped economy and high rate of population growth. Full membership in the EU would provide Turkish nationals with the right to seek work anywhere in the Union. This prospect has also caused concern in member countries because Turkish immigrant communities (gurbet) have been slow to assimilate.

NATO

Turkey joined NATO in 1952. Among NATO members, it has the second largest military (after the Untied States). In February 2003, a request for permission to bolster Turkish defenses in preparation for the Iraq War was rebuffed by France, Belgium, and Germany. This vote called NATO’s collective defense mandate into question. Turkey fields 1,200 troops in Afghanistan, most of who are based in and around Kabul. Their impact is greater than their numbers; they are visible proof to the Afghanis that NATO is not a Christian organization seeking to make territorial inroads into the Muslim world. Requests that they be deployed to more dangerous regions of Afghanistan have been rebuffed by Ankara.