Cool Turkey: Solving the Image Problem to Secure EU Membership

Abstract

According to the autumn 2005 Eurobarometer 55 per cent of the EU population perceive Turkey to be culturally too different to fit into the EU. Given that Turkey's accession to the EU will require ratification by the member states, this perception poses a problem for Turkey. This article discusses whether and how Turkey can solve its image problem. It argues that, while images are resistant to change, countries can influence how they are seen by others. For Turkey to overcome its image as the EU's cultural other, it needs to behave in a way that undermines the EU's expectations. Restrained reactions to EU decisions would challenge the image of Turkey being overly emotional. Similarly, a cultural relations policy that puts stronger emphasis on modern aspects of Turkish cultural life enables EU citizens to think of Turkey in a new way. And the ‘civil society dialogue’, which is part of the EU's rapprochement strategy, provides the chance for Turkey to demonstrate that it is able to critically reflect upon itself. In response to these measures, EU citizens might, albeit slowly, alter their image of Turkey and perceive of the country in terms of cultural similarity rather than difference.

Acknowledgement

The author thanks Alexander Spencer and the two anonymous referees of Mediterranean Politics for their helpful comments.

Notes

¹ Turkey's minister of justice, Cemil Cicek, once compared EU–Turkey relations to a comedy, where as soon as one demand is met, the next is made (Süddeutsche Zeitung, 13 December 2004).

² Though it is not difficult to find statements that are in line with my observations on the German discourse. Valéry Giscard d'Estaing, to give one example, argues that Turkey is not a European country, as it has ‘a different culture, a different approach, and a different way of life’ (quoted in: Guardian, 29 September 2004).

³ However, Eurobarometer does collect data on rates of support for various countries’ possible accessions to the EU. Here, Turkey fares worst by far, with 55 per cent of EU citizens being opposed to Turkish membership. Only EU citizens’ opposition towards Albanian membership comes close, here 50 per cent oppose that country's EU membership. Switzerland (13 per cent) and Norway (12 per cent) are the countries which would face least opposition should they apply for membership (European Commission, 2005c: 31).

⁴ The display of nationalism by the government – especially now that the AKP is ruling – may have a strategic and hence perfectly rational background: to secure the support of the Kemalists (especially in the military). Interestingly, this is often overlooked by commentators in the EU.

⁵ http://www.kultur.gov.tr/EN/Default.aspx?17A16AE30572D313D4AF1EF75F7A79681D9DD78D03148A6E (accessed 6 June 2006).

⁶ http://www.tcberlinbe.de/de/trde/kulturbeziehungen.htm (accessed 6 June 2006), my translation and emphasis.

⁷ Of course, it can be debated whether something like a civil society dialogue can be implemented top-down, here by the European Commission.

⁸ http://www.euractiv.com/Article?tcmuri = tcm:29-145219-16&type = Overview (accessed 6 June 2006).

⁹ http://www.abig.org.tr/en/abig.asp (accessed 6 June 2006).

¹⁰ http://www.abig.org.tr/en/abig.asp (accessed 6 June 2006).

¹¹ http://www.abig.org.tr/en/template.asp?nx = 0&id = 11570&go = The%20Truth%20About%20the%20Armenian%20Problem (accessed 6 June 2006).