Turkey and the European Union: Accession or Strategic Partnership

The question of Turkey's accession to the European Union has given rise to numerous debates in academic and executive circles in the country. The power centers in Turkey seek a type of national consensus on the subject, but serious domestic, regional and international obstacles still exist in its way to attain this goal. The existing obstacles include religious, political, economic, regional and international ones. Religious-identity issues appear to pose the biggest difficulty in this regard. Considering these obstacles, basic scenarios for the future of Turkey in the European Union can be developed including moving ahead speedily, minimal diversion from the road, grand constant clash, and the secondary path all of which are discussed in the article.