BOOK REVIEW: DEMOCRACY IN TURKEY: The Impact of EU Political Conditionality

Abstract

BOOK REVIEW: DEMOCRACY IN TURKEY: The Impact of EU Political Conditionality, ALİ RESUL USUL

Keywords

• EU
• Democracy
• Turkey

BOOK REVIEW: DEMOCRACY IN TURKEY: The Impact of EU Political Conditionality

Abstract

and democratic consolidation. In the first chapter, he notes the historical background of civil society in Turkey. However, the third and the fourth chapters lack knowledge on historical background. Usul’s statement on p. 141 is an example in this regard: “Turkish democracy, from the beginning, has been a story of a series of political crisis which have constantly hindered democratic consolidation in Turkey”. However, these crises are hardly mentioned. Coups d’état are touched upon briefly; but readers might like to be informed about fluctuations of Turkish democracy more elaborately. Similarly, on p. 25, he refers to Putnam’s and Gourevitch’s arguments on democratization, but he does not establish the link between these arguments and the case of Turkey. It might have added more insight to the study if he could establish that link

Keywords

• Democracy
• EU
• Turkey

References

1. Saatçioğlu, B. (2009) “How Closely Does the European Union’s Membership Conditionality Reflect the Copenhagen Criteria? Insights from Turkey”, Turkish Studies, Vol. 10, No. 4, pp. 559-576.
2. Schimmelfennig, F., Engert, S. and Knobel, H. (2003) “Costs, Commitment, and Compliance. The Impact of EU Democratic Conditionality on Latvia, Slovakia, and Turkey”, Journal of Common Market Studies, Vol. 41, No.3, pp. 495–518.
3. Usul, A.R. (2003) “International Dimension of Democratization? The Influence of the European Union on the Consolidation of Democracy in Turkey 1987-2002”. Unpublished PhD Thesis, Bilkent University, http://www.thesis.bilkent.edu.tr/0002280.pdf (Accessed 26.07.2014).