The Public Opinion in the EU On Turkey's Accession Process

The subject of enlargement is a key aspect in shaping the future of European Union. Debates on the absorption capacity of the Union and the implications of the accession of new members have become an everyday calculation for both member and candidate states. Besides the cost-benefit analysis taking place, the highly speculative nature of the process, seem to be prevailing in the accession negations of candidate countries, since this transitional period will be affecting the lives of many Europeans. In the case of Turkey s candidacy, the speculations, debates and various accession scenarios seem even more vivid. Turkey s many distinctive characteristics compared to those of current members make the relations between Turkey and EU quite demanding. On the road ahead, there lay many topics that need to be discussed and solved. The main aim of this work is to examine the prospect of the accession of Turkey to the EU and the actors influencing the public opinion on the subject matter such as political parties and NGOs, through a sample group of countries, namely Britain, France and Germany.