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The Approaches of Turkish Social Democrats to the European Union

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The Approaches of Turkish Social Democrats to the European Union THE APPROACHES OF TURKISH SOCIAL DEMOCRATS TO THE EUROPEAN UNION A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE GRADUATE SCHOOL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES OF MIDDLE EAST TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY BY SEÇ İL ERDEM IN PARTIAL FULLFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF SCIENCE IN THE DEPARTMENT OF POLITICAL SCIENCE AND PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION SEPTEMBER 2006 Approval of the Graduate School of Social Sciences ____________________ Prof. Dr. Sencer AYATA Director I certify that this thesis satisfies all the requirements as a thesis for the degree of Master of Science. ____________________ Prof. Dr. Feride ACAR Head of Department This is to certify that we have read this thesis and that in our opinion it is fully adequate, in scope and quality, as a thesis for the degree of Master of Science. ____________________ Prof. Dr. Ra şit KAYA Supervisor Examining Committee Members Prof. Dr. Ra şit KAYA _________________ Prof. Dr. Ömür SEZG İN _________________ Assist. Prof. Dr. Kür şad ERTU ĞRUL _________________ PLAGIARISM PAGE I hereby declare that all information in this document has been obtained and presented in accordance with academic rules and ethical conduct. I also declare that, as required by these rules and conduct, I have fully cited and referenced all material and results that are not original to this work. Name, Last name: Seçil Erdem Signature : iii ABSTRACT THE APPROACHES OF TURKISH SOCIAL DEMOCRATS TO THE EUROPEAN UNION Erdem, Seçil M. Sc., Department of Political Science and Public Administration Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Ra şit Kaya September 2006, 135 pages The relations between Turkey and the European Union and the current developments concerning this process are important issues which have direct and indirect effects on the economic, political and social dynamics in Turkey. In this context, the European Union has also become an important subject of political debates in Turkey. This thesis analyses the roles and approaches of the political components within the framework of Turkish Social Democratic Movement in the process of the determination of the Turkey-European Union relations. This thesis will provide a chance to conceive how the European Union and the relations between Turkey and the European Union are considered and assessed by Turkish Social Democrats who are one of the most important components of Turkish politics that have also submitted significant contributions to the Turkey-European Union relations. Key Words: Social Democracy, European Union, Turkey iv ÖZ TÜRK SOSYAL DEMOKRATLARININ AVRUPA B İRL İĞİ ’NE YAKLA ŞIMLARI Erdem, Seçil Yüksek Lisans, Siyaset Bilimi ve Kamu Yönetimi Bölümü Tez Yöneticisi: Prof. Dr. Ra şit Kaya Eylül 2006, 135 Sayfa Türkiye ve Avrupa Birli ği arasındaki ili şkiler ve bu süreci ilgilendiren güncel geli şmeler Türkiye’deki ekonomik, siyasal ve toplumsal dinamikler üzerinde do ğrudan ve dolaylı etkileri olan önemli konulardır. Bu ba ğlamda Avrupa Birli ği, Türkiye’deki politik tartı şmaların da önemli bir konusu haline gelmi ştir. Bu tez, Türk Sosyal Demokrasi Hareketi çerçevesi içindeki politik unsurların Türkiye-Avrupa Birli ği ili şkilerinin belirlenmesi sürecindeki rolleri ve yakla şımlarını analiz etmektedir. Bu tez, Avrupa Birli ği ve Türkiye-Avrupa Birli ği ili şkilerinin Türk siyasetinin, aynı zamanda bu ili şkilere önemli katkılarda bulunmu ş en önemli unsurlarından biri olan Sosyal Demokratlar tarafından nasıl kavrandı ğı ve de ğerlendirildi ğini anlama şansı sa ğlayacaktır. Anahtar Kelimeler: Sosyal Demokrasi, Avrupa Birli ği, Türkiye v DEDICATION PAGE To My Dear Mother vi ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I wish to express my deepest gratitude to Prof. Dr. Ra şit Kaya who has not withold his support from me. His insightful approach, constructive criticism and enlightening prevision have always guided me throughout this study. I would like to thank Prof. Dr. Ömür Sezgin and Assist. Prof. Dr. Kür şad Ertu ğrul for their significant comments and suggestions. I would also like to thank my dear friends Aslı Çoban, Hasan Engin Şener and Hayriye Çelik for their encouraging support and friendship. I am also deeply grateful to Ali Haydar Fırat for his endless insight, suggestions and valuable contributions. Lastly I would like to mention my indebtedness to my dear mother who make my life meaningful by her love, patience and faith in me. vii TABLE OF CONTENTS PLAGIARISM ...................................................................................................................................... İİİ ABSTRACT.......................................................................................................................................... İV ÖZ .......................................................................................................................................................... V DEDICATION ...................................................................................................................................... Vİ ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ................................................................................................................. Vİİ TABLE OF CONTENTS.................................................................................................................... Vİİİ LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ................................................................................................................ X CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION.............................................................................................................................. 1 2. THE APPROACHES OF EUROPEAN SOCIAL DEMOCRATS TOWARD THE EUROPEAN UNION............................................................................................................................. 7 2.1. THE ADVENT OF THE EUROPEAN UNION ......................................................................... 7 2.2. THE EUROPEAN SOCIAL DEMOCRATS AND THE EUROPEAN UNION........................11 2.2.1. THE FRENCH SOCIALIST PARTY (PS) .......................................................................14 2.2.2. THE SOCIAL DEMOCRATIC PARTY OF GERMANY (SPD).....................................17 2.2.3. THE BRITISH LABOUR PARTY (LP) ...........................................................................20 2.2.4. THE PARTY OF EUROPEAN SOCIALISTS (PES) .......................................................22 2.2.5. THE PARLIAMENTARY GROUP OF THE PARTY OF EUROPEAN SOCIALISTS (SOCIALIST GROUP)................................................................................................................25 2.2.6. THE SOCIALIST INTERNATIONAL AND THE EU ....................................................27 3. TURKEY-EUROPEAN UNION RELATIONS AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE TURKISH SOCIAL DEMOCRATIC MOVEMENT...........................................................................30 3.1. THE RELATIONS BETWEEN TURKEY AND THE EUROPEAN UNION ..........................30 3.2. THE SOCIAL DEMOCRATIC MOVEMENT IN TURKEY...................................................33 3.2.1. THE CONCEPT OF THE ‘LEFT OF CENTRE’ AS A STARTING POINT FOR SOCIAL DEMOCRACY ............................................................................................................34 3.2.2. THE SOCIAL DEMOCRATIC MOVEMENT AFTER THE COUP D’ETAT ON 12 SEPTEMBER 1980 .....................................................................................................................37 viii 3.3. TURKISH SOCIAL DEMOCRATS’ SHARE OF “RESPONSIBILITY” IN THE RELATIONS BETWEEN TURKEY AND THE EUROPEAN UNION..........................................40 4. TURKISH SOCIAL DEMOCRATS AND THE EUROPEAN UNION ..........................................45 4.1. HOW THE TURKISH SOCIAL DEMOCRATS CONCEIVE THE EUROPEAN UNION AND TURKISH MEMBERSHIP.....................................................................................................45 4.2. DISCORDANT ISSUES IN TURKISH-EU RELATIONS AND THE SOCIAL DEMOCRATS .................................................................................................................................58 4.2.1. DISSATISFACTION WITH THE EU’S POSITION REGARDING TURKISH MEMBERSHIP ...........................................................................................................................59 4.2.2. CONUNDRUM POSED BY “OPEN-ENDED” NEGOTIATIONS .................................65 4.2.3. THE CYPRUS QUESTION ..............................................................................................70 4.2.4. RIDDLE ABOUT THE STRUCTURAL POLICIES AND AGRICULTURAL FUNDS AND THE PROBLEM OF FREE MOVEMENT .......................................................................77 4.2.5. THE QUESTION OF MINORITIES ................................................................................81 4.2.6. CUSTOMS UNION...........................................................................................................92 4.3. HOW THE SOCIAL DEMOCRATS FORESEE THE FUTURE OF RELATIONS BETWEEN TURKEY AND THE EU............................................................................................100 5. CONCLUSION ...............................................................................................................................111 REFERENCES....................................................................................................................................121 APPENDICES ....................................................................................................................................135 APPENDIX A: QUESTIONS OF THE INTERVIEWS.....................................................................135
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