The Cold War Effect

Turkey’s application to join “Europe”1 was made in 1959, just two weeks after that of Greece. Ankara’s European quest predates all the countries now firmly ensconced into the institution — including the UK — and yet its own prospects of membership remain remote. This chapter addresses the issue of how and why Turkey was included in the European process in the first place, and why it has languished for so long waiting for accession to happen. It argues that both can be understood if Turkey’s initial inclusion within “Europe” is viewed as an unintended consequence, and artificial construct, of the Cold War.2 Geostrategic considerations after World War II meant that the evolving European integration project saw Turkey as “European” because it was part of “Western” security and integration institutions rather than any integral European nature. Underlying concerns of the member states about Turkey’s religion, culture, demographics and economics were suppressed at that time partly by the geostrategic imperative and partly by the long-term nature of the project.