TURKISH IMAGE AND ANTI-TURKISH LOBBIES IN EUROPE

Although means of ethnic lobbying and propaganda have been available for few centuries in the form of books and tales, the emergence of global media and mass communication provided contemporary lobbyists with tools which were unimaginable even few decades ago. Turkish lobbyists, unlike their Armenian and Greek counterparts have rather been latecomers to the lobbying arena, and therefore tend to lack certain skills and experiences to defend Turkish causes. Ethnic lobbies with a proven anti-Turkish agenda, such as Armenian and Greek organizations in Europe, however, reached a high level of know-how regarding the use of mass media in promoting their ethnic agendas which often corresponds to undermining Turkish causes. As Turkey faces a critical decade regarding its permanent position in the European Union, the advantage and better know-how of anti-Turkish lobbies emerges as the biggest stumbling block on Turkey's EU bid. The prejudices and opposition to Turkish EU membership in many European countries can only be overcome by bridging this know-how gap between Turkish- and rival ethnic lobbies.

Keywords: Ethnic lobbying, anti-Turkish propaganda, EU-Turkey relations, Turkish image in Europe