Turkey and the benefits of supranational regulations : what is the impact of European integration?

Throughout her long-lasting relationship with the European Union (EU), Turkey has undergone major changes. First, in order to establish a Customs Union (CU) with the EU, Turkey made significant changes in trade policy as well as in legislation in order to harmonize with the EU in specific areas such as competition, industrial and intellectual property rights. Second, upon recognition of her candidate status at the Helsinki Summit in 1999, Turkey followed a drastic political reform agenda to fulfill the Copenhagen Political Criteria and, accordingly, to initiate accession negotiations. Moreover, economic recovery program initiated following the economic crisis of 2001 under the surveillance of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank, with the full support of the EU, paved the way for a radical structural reform process. Finally, the opening of accession negotiations in 2005 and the ongoing negotiation process over thirty-five chapters, including intellectual property and company law, environment and climate change, with the European Commission has helped Turkey comply with EU standards and norms. As a result of this intensive reform process, Turkey has become an important player in the world economy.

This project has been undertaken to give an overall view of the economic impacts of the reform process undertaken by Turkey in her bid for EU membership and draw up recommendations for the countries involved in the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership (EUROMED) from the experience of Turkey, based on a set of interviews conducted with major players of the Turkish economy.