ADDING THE CRESCENT TO THE CROSS: Turkish Membership in the European Union

The European Union (EU) has proved to be the paramount regional organization of the 21st century. Ever since the emergence of the European Coal and Steel Community in 1952, scholars have analyzed the steps taken by EU institutions to widen and deepen the economic, and increasingly political, entity. Turkey recently began accession negotiations with the EU, though they are expected to last for a decade and do not guarantee membership. Also, a new stringent framework has been constructed by the European Commission for Turkey’s accession negotiations. Turkey’s Muslim heritage has also been a noted as a silent reason for Turkey’s delayed accession negotiations as well as their unique structure. After further examination of Turkey’s conformity to the body of EU treaties and laws and external factors; this thesis suggests that Turkey cannot successfully complete the accession negotiations in the European Commission’s suggested timeframe