EU Conditionality Is Not the Only Game in Town! Domestic Drivers of Turkey's Europeanization

Abstract

Despite the weakened push by the European Union (EU) conditionality across time, Turkey's Europeanization process continues in a number of areas selectively. Focusing on such a puzzling trend, this article critically examines the role of EU conditionality on Turkey's Europeanization and unpacks domestic drivers of change. The article explores the impact of grassroots actors -Turkish civil society organizations, business interest groups, media and political parties- on domestic change in the last decade and argues that continuing reforms in many areas in an era of limited EU-push are influenced by domestic actors.