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Article: Crossing over? Turkey and the European Union.(MIDDLE EAST)
- Article from:
- Harvard International Review
- Article date:
- January 1, 2006
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2006 Harvard International Relations Council, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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In its quest for full membership in the European Union, the Republic of Turkey has traveled a long and arduous road. Having been an associate member of the European Union since 1963, Turkey became a candidate to be a full EU member in 1999. Finally, on October 3, 2005, the European Union started accession talks with Turkey. Despite much headway, however, the end of the road has not yet come. Indeed, it may still be far too early for Turks to begin celebrating.
Such skepticism is warranted by long-standing resistance within the European Union to a Turkish member state. Points of contention include Turkey's geographic boundaries, economic instability, cultural and ...