How European is Turkey?

The study aims to measure the Europeanness of Turkey by invoking the changing meanings of “Europe” in the framework of Turkey’s long-standing EU accession process, arguing that the democratization reforms promoted by the EU have left strong marks on Turkish identity. The paper analyzes the troublesome relationship of Europe with Turkey, underlining the reforms implemented by the latter, and the so-called double-standards applied to Turkey, as well as their impact on the country’s development and orientation. In order to address the central question, the paper examines the official documents of the EU and the changes noticed at the level of Turkish identity, providing us with evidence about Turkey’s undesirable, according to the attitude of some EU member countries towards the issue, yet attainable EU membership. Turkey has changed greatly, its citizens becoming more and more aware of their rights and power, and more attached to European values, regardless of the recent domestic evoluti