Publication

This paper discusses the reasons for and implications of Turkey's lagging reform process, focusing on its EU membership bid. It identifies domestic and external causes for the suspension of the reform process, reviews promises by the ruling AKP party to start a new reform initiative including civil-military relations, human rights and ethnic relations and asks what it takes to implement these promises. The paper concludes that only a more complete democracy at home can convince the Europeans that Turkey is sincerely pursuing full EU membership.