EUROPEAN IDENTITY BEYOND EU BORDERS: THE CASE OF TURKEY`S MEMBERSHIP

Cristina Zetu ()
Additional contact information
Cristina Zetu: Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iasi, Romania

A chapter in EURINT Proceedings 2013, 2013, vol. 1, pp 309-318 from Centre for European Studies, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University

Abstract: Through this paper we review theoretical approaches and research conducted to date on the concept of "European identity", focusing on the role of otherness in shaping it. European project, conceived originally as an institutionalization of cooperation between European states, has become today an important presence in the social and political life of its citizens, who are driven to relate to a supranational community that includes new challenges. Thus the binder of the new extended society of Europeans seems to be European identity, its establishment being able to ensure the necessary support for the institutions of this level. Based on the social identity theory of Henri Tajfel, according to which a group` identity is shaped by the connections he establishes with the “out-groups” that he comes in contact with, Europe`s identity, as it is presented at a global level, has been outlined through the European organization`s relations with partners or neighboring countries. It was a reciprocal relationship in so far as these states have developed at their turn by reference to the political, economic, social and cultural European environment. Turkey is one of the oldest partner states of the European Union and now candidate for accession to the European space, status which caused noticeable changes in the political and economic structure of the Turkish state. The hypothesis of this paper is that the Europeanization of the Turkish Republic contributed to the consolidation of its diplomatic role in the Middle East, by becoming a model of governance for countries affected by the Iraq war and the Arab Spring revolutionary movements.

Keywords: European identity; Turkey; European Union relations; Europeanization process (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2013
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
http://cse.uaic.ro/eurint/proceedings/index_htm_files/EURINT_2013.pdf (application/pdf)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:jes:euri13:309-318

Access Statistics for this chapter

More chapters in EURINT Proceedings from Centre for European Studies, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University Contact information at EDIRC.
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Alupului Ciprian ().