Abstract:

The European Union is not just a new type of legal order which serves integration on the level of economic interests; it is also a legal order in which a very clear purpose is dominant. This is the promotion of a process of integration towards the economic and political union of European States. The European Union is based on common ideas and values regarding democracy and human rights standards, as well as economy. This special interest has been shown for the candidate countries at the Copenhagen European Council. According to the criteria for accession, known as the "Copenhagen criteria", membership requires that the candidate country:"has achieved stability of institutions guaranteeing democracy, the rule of law, human rights, and respect for and protection of minorities". Regular Reports (1998,1999, 2000 and 2001) from the Commission on Progress towards Accession of Turkey, put stress on specific problems of democracy, human rights and the rule of law in Turkey. "The Council Decision on the principles, priorities, intermediate objectives and conditions contained in the Accession Partnership with the Republic of Turkey" explaines the expectations of EU on progress towards accession of Turkey. In this article the author examines the specific subjects which exist in the documents mentioned above and National Programme, and compares them with the amendments of the Turkish constitution. She elaborates the detention conditions, freedom of expression and the freedom of association of the political parties in Turkey taking into consideration the European Court of Human Rights cases as well as Eu documents. Author in this article suggests to apply the standards of the European Court of Human Rights regarding the rules about the detention conditions, the freedom of expression and the closure of the political parties. 

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