Özet:

This paper is an attempt to analyze the impact of the external relations of Turkey upon its process of democratization. By considering main developments in Turkey’s democratic transition, the aim is to trace the influences of Turkish foreign policy choices on strengthening democracy in Turkey. In this context, this study argues that westernization had been a modernization project of Turkey with the strategic and economic concerns until the end of the Cold War. In the post-Cold War period, the political Europeanization project of Turkey has made significant contributions to the process of democratization since the Helsinki Summit of 1999. However, with the problematic relationship of Turkey-EU after the golden years (1999-2005) of rapprochement, Turkey went to a redefinition process of its orientation in modernization, democratization and foreign policy under the Justice and Development Party rule in the last decade.

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