Dennis Lange Wollbrink
Maria Thye Møller
Bachelor Thesis 2010
Minority Protection in Turkey
- An aspect of Turkish accession in the European Union
Bachelor Thesis written by:
Dennis Lange Wollbrink
Maria Thye Møller
Characters: 94.154
Aarhus School of Business / Aarhus University
English and European Studies
Thesis written in European Studies
May 2010
Student advisor: Per Lunde
Abstract
The debate on whether or not Turkey should be allowed to join the EU is divided in two. On the one hand, we have the economic aspect and on the other we have the political aspect. We will exclusively focus on the latter subject and will throughout the dissertation focus on the political aspect of minority protection in Turkey and how this affects the Turkey – EU relations. The essential framework of the dissertation will be based on three hypotheses constructed in order to evaluate the influence of the EU on Turkish minority protection via political conditionality and norm diffusion.
The basis of the dissertation will be on the European enlargement policy which is regarded as the most efficient and successful foreign policy in the EU. From the enlargement policy we will extract various political integration tools such as political conditionality and norm diffusion in order to analyze and discuss the past, present and the future relations between Turkey and the EU. Furthermore, we will use these political tools to examine and analyze the case of the Kurdish minority in Turkey. Political conditionality and norm diffusion constitute the theoretical framework of the dissertation. Firstly, the theories are described, and secondly they are used as instruments to analyze and discuss the main notions in the problem statement, namely the issue of minority protection and how this influences Turkey's perspectives of joining the EU. The theoretical framework will compose the structure of the dissertation and it will be implemented in all the sections of the dissertation.
In the analytical section we have incorporated a broad perspective on the domestic political situation in Turkey. This perspective is given through a thorough description of the different and significant political parties in the Turkish political arena. The introduction to the domestic political scene in Turkey is provided in order to give the reader an idea of what lies underneath the problematic notion of integrating Turkey in the EU. Furthermore, it is a way of illustrating the lack of Kurdish political influence in the Turkish society. In coherence with the aspect of the Turkish political situation, the analysis provides an in-depth explanation of how the theories of political conditionality and norm diffusion in the sense of enlargement relate to the pressing situation of whether or not Turkey should be adopted as a full member in the EU. Furthermore, the theories are analyzed in the context of minority protection and how they affect this exact issue in Turkish politics.
In discussing the findings of the dissertation, we will use the knowledge extracted from the analysis to evaluate our constructed hypotheses. In order to do so in an objective manner, we will incorporate certain contrasts to the theories already implied. These contrasts will serve as tools in discussing the plausibility of our hypotheses. The contrasts will in the sense of objectivity be opposites of the theories. For example, the European neighborhood policy will be used as a counter argument to Schimmelfennig and neo-functionalism will be used as an alternative to political conditionality.
Conclusively we argue that the outlook of a full membership in the EU seems rather bleak for Turkey. This is reasoned by the statements drawn from the 2008 Commission Staff Working Document that Turkey is far from abiding to the European standards of cultural diversity and minority protection. Furthermore, we find that Schimmelfennig’s theory on the importance of a promise of full membership status in regard to the success of political conditionality is applicable and valid in the case of Turkey.
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Dennis Lange Wollbrink
Maria Thye Møller
Bachelor Thesis 2010
Table of Contents
1 Introduction – DLW & MTM 5
1.2 Problem statement 6
1.3. Hypotheses 7
1.4 Limitations of the dissertation 8
1.5 Source evaluation 8
2. Method 9
2.1. Empirical data 9
2.1.1. Primary literature – DLW & MTM 9
2.1.2. Secondary literature – DLW & MTM 10
2.1.3. Abductive interference – DLW & MTM 10
2.2. Theoretical framework of the dissertation – DLW & MTM 10
2.2.1. Norm diffusion – MTM 11
2.2.2. Political conditionality – DLW 12
3. Empirical framework 13
3.1. Presentation of empirical data – DLW 13
3.2. The European integration theories 15
3.2.1. Enlargement policy as a strong foreign policy tool – MTM 15
3.2.2. Functionalism – MTM 15
3.2.3. Neo-functionalism – DLW 16
3.2.4. Constructivism – DLW 18
3.3. The EU's role in international relations 18
3.3.1. The Civilian Power Europe – DLW 18
3.3.2. The Normative Power Europe – MTM 19
3.3.3. Credibility of the EU in relation to enlargement – MTM 19
3.4 Summing Up – DLW & MTM 20
4. Analysis 21
4.1. A sketch of Kurdistan – DLW 21
4.1.1. The PKK in the context of Kurdistan – DLW 22
4.1.2. The Turkish Constitution – DLW 23
4.2. Turkey 23
4.2.1. Exposition of the domestic political situation in Turkey – MTM 23
4.2.1.1. AKP and DTP – MTM 24
4.2.1.2. PKK in the context of Turkey – MTM 25
4.2.1.3. AKP and TDH – MTM 26
4.2.3. The influence of the EU on Turkish minority protection of the Kurds – DLW 28
4.3. Norm diffusion: The EU as a normative power – MTM 30
4.3.1. Conceptualization of the term NPE in the context of minority protection – MTM 31
4.3.2. Normative impact of the EU on minority protection in Turkey – MTM 33
4.3.3. Political conditionality in the context of minority protection – DLW 34
4.3.3.1 The intentions of political conditionality – DLW 34
4.3.3.2. Turkey and political conditionality – DLW 36
4.3.3.3. The Kurds and Political Conditionality – DLW 37
4.4. Summing up – DLW & MTM 39
5. Discussion – DLW & MTM 41
6. Conclusion – DLW & MTM 46
7. Perspectives – DLW & MTM 49
8. Bibliography 50
Appendix 1 56
1 Introduction – DLW & MTM
The main objective of this dissertation is to describe and analyze the relationship between the Kurds and the Turks within the Turkish society, and how this relationship influences the chances of Turkey becoming a member of the European Union (EU).
Our focus of the dissertation can, on the one hand, be reasoned by the importance of the instrument enlargement policy of the EU. From the very beginning of the European Community (EC) in 1957, it can be argued that the very existence of the EC was based on enlargements: the first round in 1973 (Great Britain, Ireland and Denmark), the second round in 1981 (Greece, Spain and Portugal), third round in 1995 (Sweden, Finland and Austria), fourth round in 2004 (Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta and Cyprus) and the most recent round in 2007 (Romania and Bulgaria)[1]. In 2005, negotiations were initiated with Turkey and Croatia. All together these rounds have helped shape the structure and identity of the EU.
On the other hand, the question of the EU as being a normative and identity-shaping actor will be elaborated on according to our focus of the dissertation. Turkey will inevitably be influenced by political conditionality and norm diffusion imposed by the EU and the Europeanization that comes with an EU membership. Hence, a lot of Turkish national values, norms and political considerations will be shaped according to the EU identity discourse. We will analyze this phenomenon in the light of the Turkish and Kurdish relationship and how this is a complicated issue according to the normative power of EU on human rights and minority protection.
Taking all these aspects into consideration, this dissertation will provide an in-depth analysis of the political documents which can be characterized as the foundation of the EU's normative role, i.e. the Accession Partnership and herein the Copenhagen Criteria. The analysis of the documents will be used in the discussion on how the Turkish and Kurdish relationship is a problem in this specific context, where Turkey wants to be a part of the EU.
Firstly, a central aim of this dissertation will be concerning the political conditionality imposed on Turkey by the EU in the preparation of becoming a member of the EU. Here, a section considering the role of the EU as a civilian or normative power in international relations will be provided in regard to the norm diffusion that the EU imposes on Turkey, which can be characterized as the founding principles of the EU's normative power; Peace, liberty, democracy, human rights and the rule of law. This is all used in the analysis on how the EU imposes questions of minority protection on Turkey.
Secondly, a chronological description of the Kurds' history in the Turkish society will be used to examine the conflicts between the Kurds and the Turks, and how this is complicating Turkey's pending membership status in the EU. In addition, we will describe the political situation in Turkey by presenting the most significant political parties and how they correlate. This will provide the reader with sufficient knowledge on the domestic political environment in Turkey to be able to comprehend the complications between Turkey and the EU. Here, the concept of Europeanization will be utilized in the question whether EU acts as a normative power in a top-down process of applying EU conditions and norms on Turkey.
Finally our hypotheses will be evaluated in coherence with the analysis and we will through various other political tools, i.e. ENP and the integration strategy of neo-functionalism, conclude whether or not our hypotheses hold any relevance in regard to Turkey and the question of minority protection and the outlook on Turkish potential membership of the EU.
1.2 Problem statement
What we want to examine in this dissertation can be stated as the following problem:
What is the significance of the minority protection issue in context to the general relations between Turkey and the EU and how does this affect the prospect ofa full Turkish membership of the EU?
Firstly, we will construct three hypotheses which, throughout the dissertation, will be our foundation for the analysis and discussion.
Secondly, we will briefly describe the current political situation of Kurdistan and Turkey. These accounts will be used in an examination of how the political parties are internally interacting in Turkey, and how they each consider the prospects of an EU membership.
Thirdly, we want to examine the overall problem statement by looking into EU's normative role in international relations and on the EU’s Accession Partnership and the Copenhagen Criteria with the aim to state how the EU relates to the protection of minorities with specific focus on Kurds in the Turkish society.
Fourthly, the influence that EU exercises on Turkey's political system will be examined via the theory of political conditionality and norm diffusion.
Finally, a discussion will be based upon our analysis and stated hypotheses in order to validate or disconfirm these.
1.3. Hypotheses
1. The EU sets up various conditions of both economical and political nature for any new applicant country. These conditions are a way of premature integration in the EU. In the Turkish situation the political conditions have shown to be inconsistent with the promises made by the EU. But will the inconsistency of demands and promises be crucial to the future aspects of Turkish membership?
The aspect of incoherence between what is promised and what is expected is one of the main notions set up by Schimmelfennig. The notion states that any less than a promise of full membership status will in the end prevent political conditionality in succeeding. In the discussion section of this dissertation we will try to elaborate on and analyze this hypothesis by discussing whether or not this notion of full membership status is in fact pivotal in the case of political conditionality in Turkey.
2.
The enlargement policy is widely regarded as the most influential and successful foreign policy in the EU. The policy functions as an economical and political stabilizer and is furthermore the main contributor to the integration of both new membership countries and neighboring countries. The political tools used in the enlargement policy are mainly conditionality and norm diffusion, a set of EU constructed rules and norms implemented in candidate and neighbor countries to help along economic and political reforms. But is conditionality and norm diffusion the most efficient ways of Europeanizing Turkey and the Turkish people?
In the discussion we will look at some of the alternative political tools in the enlargement strategy, i.e. the European Neighborhood Policy (ENP) and neo-functionalism, and try to establish whether or not conditionality and norm diffusion is in fact as employable in the Turkish situation as it has been in previous accession situations.
3.
The smoldering conflict between the Kurdish minorities and the Turks in Turkey is based on yearlong enmity which can be dated back to the massive suppression of the cultural, social and economic lives of the Kurds before World War II by Turkish military.
It has become a pressing issue for the EU to acknowledge this suppression as a violation of both human and minority rights by demanding a reformation of the Turkish way of handling these political and cultural conflicts.
In the discussion, we will elaborate on our findings in regard to the Commission Staff Working Document on Turkey’s progress in the implementation of EU conditions. Furthermore, we will examine the consequences of the abolishment of the Kurdish political party DTP. This section of the discussion will be an attempt to illustrate just how important the issue of minority protection is in the correlation with EU conditionality.
1.4 Limitations of the dissertation
In the dissertation, we have chosen not to include the following subject matters; Cyprus, the Armenian genocide, economical conditions of the Copenhagen Criteria and discussions regarding religious beliefs in Turkey and the EU respectively. These matters have been left out in order to focus entirely on the matters within the problem statement and to limit the scope of the dissertation.