Turkey and the European Union

Turkey is a strategically important country that acts as a bridge between Europe and Asia, bordering the Mediterranean, Aegean and the Black seas. The country has a unique culture which has been influenced by Islamic and European traditions with a historically important role as being the cradle of the Ottoman Empire. The Turkish military has been prominent in the country’s government, but the 1982 constitution drafted by the military declared Turkey to be a parliamentary democracy with power sharing between the President, the Prime Minister and his Council of Ministers as well as the Parliament. In this essay, an attempt has been made to study the implications and progress of Turkey’s application to become a member of the EU.