Öner's book provides a valuable insight into the role of political elites and the question of European identity focusing on Turkey and the EU. The analysis of elite interviews with members of the European Commission and European Parliament reveals the lack of consensus of the EU elites about whether to define European identity on a civic or cultural basis. It ... Read moreshows that most respondents find Turkish membership to be a challenge to European identity, because there is still skepticism about the strength of European identity. The book thus raises important normative questions about the boundaries of Europe, post-national identity constructions and the construction of 'Europeanized national identities.'
Birte Siim, Aalborg University, Denmark A timely and balanced book that addresses vital questions about the future of Europe. As rightly grasped by the author, the question of Turkey's membership to the EU cannot be divorced from the idea of Europe and European identity. Selcen Öner's argument incorporates sections on different aspects of European identity and links this issue with the current debates on Turkey's membership to the EU. Both theoretical and field research on the issue provide the reader with a precious insight into how the future of Europe is being shaped on the basis of a process of identity construction.
Nas, Yildiz Technical University, Turkey Öner is ideally qualified to write this perceptive work on one of the major issues in European, indeed world, politics. She faces the difficult issues about Turkey's entry into the European Union and points towards how they can best be handled. She not only knows both the EU and Turkey well, she also gives solid content to the idea of a future-oriented European identity for which Turkish membership would be good for both sides.
David F. Ford, University of Cambridge Öner provides a comprehensive overview of how the issue of European identity has been a key aspect in the process of Turkey’s EU membership and how Turkey has been a key influencer of what it means to be European. While other factors, such as the economic troubles of the Eurozone or questions about the incorporation of a such a large population may eventually be the cause for Turkey joining or not joining the EU, the issue of identity will certainly be a part of the story. One of the key features of this process has been that the question of Turkey joining the EU has been the catalyst to expose what being “European” means. This is a concept that is under continual construction and Turkey is both a challenge and a contributor to that process.
E-International Relations
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