The Turkish Parliamentary Elite and the EU: Mapping Attitudes towards the European Union

Abstract

This study aims to map out the opinions and attitudes of the Turkish parliamentary elite regarding Turkey's membership of the European Union in general and the future of Europe in particular. The parliamentary elite group consists of political party representatives present in the current Turkish Grand National Assembly. The study uses the findings of the Turkish Elite Survey 2009 conducted by the Center for European Studies, Middle East Technical University. The article argues that while Turkish parliamentarians support Turkey's entry into the EU, particularly on security grounds, there are significant signs of lack of trust in EU institutions.