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The grant of economic and technical aid by the EU for regional development during the pre-accession process and its link to novel forms of territorial governance for administering them for eventual EU membership is increasingly challenging Turkey's traditional state centered politics and regional policy. Based on the concept of Europeanization this paper examines the extent and direction of change in Turkey's regional policy to date under the influence of the EU. The paper suggests that there is a major 'misfit' between the EU and Turkey's regional policy approaches and argues that certain domestic features of Turkey's domestic polity render Turkey's adaptation to the EU's multi-level governance model very problematic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The EU, which is defined by its own officials as 'a superpower under construction', will have to deal with a series of economic, political-institutional, cultural-social and geopolitical challenges due to enlargement. The author of this paper argues that given the inevitable problems that lie ahead of the EU and Turkey's many xx, Turkey stands no chance of joining the EU in the next 20 years no matter what it does. The paper further explores the ideological-psychological, ethnic, political-institutional, geopolitical, historical and economic dimensions of the policies that can be pursued by the EU towards Turkey within this time span. In light of these arguments the author suggests that for harmonious relations with the EU, Turkey should cease to aim for full membership and manage its relations through a framework other than that of the EU. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates whether the European Union (EU) membership and/or preparation for membership creates new opportunities for better networking, collaboration, and communication among women's activist groups. The case of Turkey and Greece are taken up to examine how women's activist groups use the process of EU negotiations to construct stronger networks for improving gender-related policies and discourse in their countries. In this context, the limitations of the EU are also noted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In an effort to counter concerns that Turkey is too big, too poor, and too Muslim to join the European Union, Turkish officials routinely stress the strategic benefits Turkish membership would provide the EU. While this argument may resonate in Washington and certain corners of Brussels, it is having little impact on the wider European public. By analyzing Turkey's strategic rationale, the debate within the EU about its geographic and cultural limits, and the growing importance of European public opinion, this paper calls for a new public diplomacy that complements Turkey's strategic arguments by stressing the concrete economic and political benefits of Turkish accession. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The decision of the European Council in December 2004 on whether to start accession negotiations with Turkey will mark a historic turning point in Turkey-EU relations. Both sides are now standing at a crossroads contemplating whether to take advantage of the probably benefits of Turkey's membership or bear the costs of its exclusion from the Union. This paper will explore the potential implications of integrating Turkey into the EU by charting out a multi-level, multi-disciplinary cost/benefit analysis for both sides. In this context, it will try to sort out whether enlarging to include Turkey is really something indispensable for both or either side. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]