Turkey-EU Relations: Beyond Membership; Army, Religion, and Energy
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Turkey-EU Relations: Beyond membership; army, religion, and energy Kenan Aksu Thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Department of Politics, Goldsmiths College University of London i I, Kenan Aksu, declare that the work presented in this thesis is my own. ii To my wife Aylin and my children Seyhun İdil and Timur Kenan for their endless support iii Abstract This thesis examines the impact of Turkey-EU relations on Turkey's domestic political evolution in the 1990s and 2000s, with a focus on the evolution of the religious political parties, the changing position of the military and Turkey’s new energy politics. Although Turkey-EU relations resemble non-progressive affairs to many, in reality, they are as productive as any other relations that have resulted in the expected goal. Both Turkey and the EU made significant gains from this long lasting relationship. However, this thesis focuses more on the impact of these relations on Turkey. While engaging with the EU, Turkish domestic politics underwent a major evolution especially concerning the religiously motivated political parties; they were founded on anti-Western and pro-Islamic principles. However their attempt to come to power was continuously prevented by the secular forces, most importantly the army. In 2000s, realizing the importance of Europeanisation to help avoid the military’s intimidation, they became the real champions of Westernisation, contrary to their founding principles. Under Erdoğan’s leadership they started the accession negotiations with the EU. While Islamic political thinking was evolving, the position of the Turkish Armed Forces, who, directly or indirectly, drove Turkish politics since the 1960s, was also changing in favour of civilian control. Thanks to the EU initiated reform programs which were implemented by the religiously rooted JDP after 2002, the Turkish army’s heavy presence in civilian politics was reduced almost to zero. Again, close relations with the EU encouraged Turkey to become proactive within Eurasian energy politics. As well as the good relations with the West, Turkey also started utilizing its geostrategic positioning by trying to become the energy bridge, and perhaps energy hub, between the energy producers on its eastern borders with energy hungry Europe on its western borders. iv Acknowledgements PhD experience was once of the most important event in my life as it helped me to become a more patient, a better researcher and a better analyst of the world affairs. However, I could never be able to complete the research without the help, support and guidance of the amazing people that surrounded me during the process. I would like to start by thanking my supervisor Dr Anca M. Pusca, for her endless patience, help and support during my long lasting research process. I do not even have the account of how many times she has read the same chapters and gave me feedback. Without her encouragement and guidance it would have been very hard to come to this point. Moreover, I would really like to thank my examiners Dr Farhang Morady and Dr Eric Gordy for their time and effort to sit in my viva as well as giving me feedback on my work. I would like to thank also to people who gave me their valuable times during the interviews. Without their views and ideas I could not bring this thesis together. Their social and political experiences and knowledge enlightened the way I proceed with my work. However, needless to say that I take the responsibility for any errors and oversights that may arise in this thesis. I am also thankful to Professor Süleyman Kızıltoprak, Professor Ahmet Taşağıl, Dr Shirin Akiner, Dr Jasna Dragovic-Soso, Dr David Martin, Dr William B. Womack, Dr Zafer Yörük, Aytaç Odacılar, Romain Abdul Rahim Muhammad, Behar Sadriu and Dr Geoffrey King for their support and encouragement before and during my research. Without their reassurance, inspiration and advice I could not possibly see the completion of this thesis. Thanks are also due to staff of the Politics Department, the library and the Graduate School at the Goldsmiths who tirelessly answered my calls and had to deal with my research related problems. I would also like to acknowledge the importance of the help I got from my friends at Goldsmiths especially Dr Katarina Lezova and Aya Hino. Katarina was always there when I needed help and guidance. In many occasions she has given up her personal time to support me. Also the support of my friends Rhys Burton, Gemma Gilroy, Catharine Tookey, Clare Tubridy, Lisa Emerick, and Musellem Adem at work has been extremely crucial for the completion of this thesis. Especially robust criticism I got from Catherine with my evaluations and intellectual discussions with Lisa and Musellem were great source of inspiration and quest for the faultlessness. As well as my students, the support of, Günay Torun, Adem Cetingok, Aysun and Caner Yildirim, Gary Donnelly, Irfan Kilicoglu, Oner Savas and Razi Ashraf was central to my completion. v Although I have never met him, I am also grateful to my grandfather Recep Kethüdaoğlu Yahya, who died during World War One in Erzurum in 1916, for being an inspiration to me by sacrificing his life for his country at a very young age. Again I would like to thank my late father Kamil Aksu for his passion for history and support during my secondary school years and my mother Reşide Aksu for her earnest support for all my life. Needless to say I felt much stronger during the research thanks to the support of my father and mother in laws, very dear eleven sisters and brothers as well as more than 40 nephews and nieces. Finally, my greatest thanks go to my immediate family members; my wife Aylin, my daughter Seyhun İdil and my son Timur Kenan. Without Aylin’s emotional support this thesis would never come to life. She has endured days and nights of my stress and moaning. In fact she nearly completed the PhD course with me with her immeasurable patience and understanding. Again without my daughter’s steady company in my study room and constant questioning of every word I typed, I would have not been the tolerant man I am now with everything in life including the PhD. Lastly, I have to appreciate Timur Kenan’s contribution to this work. Even the first sign of his arrival hastened the completion of this thesis which would otherwise take longer to finish. vi CONTENTS Chapter 1 ................................................................................................................................... 10 Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 10 A Historical Background to Turkey-Europe Relations in twentieth century ...................... 18 Turkey-EEC relations: ............................................................................................................. 19 Turgut Özal and the New Turkey: .......................................................................................... 21 Turkey-EEC relations after 1990: ........................................................................................... 27 Turkey-EU relations after the 2000s: ...................................................................................... 30 Chapter 2 ................................................................................................................................... 36 Literature review and methodology ........................................................................................ 36 Literature review ...................................................................................................................... 36 School of thought against the Turkish entry to the EU ..................................................... 39 School of thought in favour of Turkish entry to the EU ................................................... 47 School of thought balanced in its views about the Turkish entry to the EU ...................... 50 Where does this thesis locate itself? .................................................................................. 52 Theoretical Framework ............................................................................................................ 54 Research Methods ..................................................................................................................... 60 Chapter 3 ................................................................................................................................... 69 The EU and Civilian-Military Relations in Turkey ............................................................... 69 The role of the Turkish army in civilian politics ............................................................... 69 What were the main causes of the intervention of the Turkish military in politics? ......... 71 Direct causes of military intervention in Turkish politics: ................................................ 87 The1960 coup ................................................................................................................... 87 The 1971 military ultimatum ........................................................................................... 90 The 1980 coup .................................................................................................................. 91 The EU’s impact on the civil military relations in Turkey ................................................ 95 Reform and Progress in civilian-military relations ..........................................................