Research Questions: How did the relations conducted between Turkey and European Communities and later European Union influence policies of Turkey in terms of democracy between 2002 to 2022.

Clear Objectives:

1. How did relations with the the European Union shaped Turkey’s democratic transition during the AK Party government.

2. How did relations with the European Union shape Turkey's reforms during this time period?

3. How policy areas such as human rights, judiciary and Cyprus were influenced by relations with EU.

4. How did the accession negotiations and process onwards affect Turkey’s policies following 2002 onwards?

5. To what extend was the European Union influential in Turkey's gradual democratic deficiency?

6. What were the leading causes for the Turkish relations with the European Union sour over time?

Theoretical and Methodological Framework: Extended Position Paper

Primary sources on EU-Turkey relations will be collected from official websites such as Delegation of the European Union to Türkiye and Republic of Türkiye Ministry Foreign Affairs. The period between 2002 and 2022 will be analyzed. Apart from sources focusing on data and information, articles that examine and form statements on these information will also be taken into account as different positions on the issue. Secondary sources on theories focused on Europeanization and European Neighborhood Policy will be utilized to compare events to the literatures. Due to the nature of the topic, the conducted research will be in the form of qualitative research. Methods that will mainly be used for qualitative research will be case studies and record keeping.

For the theoretical framework, the data collected will be interpreted to analyze how relations between EU and Turkey impacted the Turkish democracy through critical thinking as well as reports from the European Union on Turkey's current state in relation to its accession agenda.

Significance of Research: Turkey has been a nation on the fringes of Europe, yet also in many ways right outside of its doorstep. The country, though positioned itself with the democratic/liberal West, has struggled with democracy, human rights and personal liberties for a long time (as various indexes suggest such as freedom house). While Turkey can be classified as a democracy, the democratic backsliding is an observable trend in recent years. Indeed around the same time, Turkey's agenda for its accession into the European Union has came to a freezing halt. While early 2000's can be explained as a breakthrough in both European Integration and democracy for Turkey, this gradually came crashing down. Considering the developments that took place after 2002 and during the AK Party government, the European Union seems to have played a large role in the country’s democratization. This position paper aims to discuss how the relations with the European Union shaped Turkish democracy, whether it did or not or in which ways it did.