Özet:

The relations between Turkey and the European Union (EU) are multi-dimensional, complex and dynamic. The participation of Turkey as a full member of the EU will have a very significant influence on both sides, both institutional, political, economic and identity-based. One of these issues is security issues. There are a number of factors that influence the security-based relations between Turkey and the EU. These factors also constitute the fundamental dynamics of the EU’s development of a security perception towards Turkey. The article focuses on three major developments that lead to systematic changes in international relations, among the various factors that shape the security dimension of the Turkish-EU relations. These three major moments of development or breakdown are the beginning of the Cold War, the end of the Cold War, and the terrorist attacks against the United States on September 11, 2001. The specific conditions and dynamics of the periods following these three major breakdowns have formed a framework in the formation of security-focused relations between Turkey and the EU. During the Cold War and the period after September 11, the EU’s security perception towards Turkey looked in a positive direction, while in the 1990s Turkey and the EU’s different security concepts, threat perceptions and security approaches had a negative impact on the EU’s security perception towards Turkey.

Anahtar Kelimeler:

Özet:

Turkey-European Union (EU) relations pose a multi-dimensional, complicated, and dynamic nature. Turkey’s accession to the EU as a full member will bring about several institutional, political, economic, and identity-based impacts for both sides. One of these areas is security-related issues. There are lots of factors affecting the security-based relations between Turkey and the EU. These factors have also enabled the EU to build up a security perception towards Turkey. The article mainly focuses on the three important developments leading to the systemic changes in international relations among several factors, which have shaped the security dimension of Turkey-EU relations. The three important turning points are ‘the beginning of the Cold War’, ‘the end of the Cold War’ and ‘terrorist attacks against the USA on 11 September 2001’. The specific conditions and dynamics of the periods following the three important turning points in international relations have created a general framework for the security-based relations between Turkey and the EU. While the EU’s security perception towards Turkey had been shaped in a positive way during both the Cold War period and post-9/11 era, the EU had a negative security perception towards Turkey in the 1990s due to different security conceptualizations, threat perceptions, and security approaches of both sides.