The EU's Common Foreign, Security and Defense Policies and the Turkish perceptions

Abstract: The normative role that the EU plays has been one of the critical aspects of the debate concerning Turkey’s accession. Turkey’s membership negotiations are critical in terms of the future of the European integration process, specifically with respect to the EU’s role as a global actor. This paper focuses on the Turkish perceptions of the EU’s role as a global actor and in particular on the conception of the EU as a ‘normative ’ power. How Turkey perceives the EU’s CFSP is critical in assessing Turkey’s potential role in the larger integration process, as well as the future development of the EU’s international role. The article investigates whether there are wide differences among the Turkish public vis-à-vis the EU’s CFSP and to what extent these differences are visible in Turkey’s negotiation talks with the EU. The paper explores the extent to which, and how, Turkey’s membership would impact the normative power of the EU. 2