Implications of EU Admittance of Turkey on Turkish-EU Relations and Turkish-U.S. Relations

摘要

Turkey has been waiting and working hard for accession to the EU for more than 40 years. The European Union Brussels Summit on December 17, 2004 finally gave Turkey what it has been seeking for over four decades. The EU decision to announce a starting date of October 3, 2005 for accession negotiations with Turkey opens a new era for Turkey and brings to an end the long waiting process. This decision represents one of the most significant and irrevocable steps on the road toward Turkey's goal of membership in the EU. It signals the start of a difficult and lengthy process of negotiations that will change both Turkey and the EU. Turkey's potential accession to the EU is not a matter of importance only within Europe. This is a crucial decision not only for the European Union and Turkey, but also for the United States and transatlantic relations. The United States has long had an exceptionally close security and foreign policy relationship with Turkey, as well as a very close partnership with the European Union. As Turkey moves nearer to EU membership, both of these relationships will change. Yet, how they change, and what the impact will be on Turkish-EU relations and Turkish-US relations, is far from clear.