THE IMPACT OF THE RISE OF FAR-RIGHT PARTIES IN EUROPE ON TURKEY’S EUROPEAN UNION MEMBERSHIP BID

This article investigates the impact on Turkey’s European Union membership bid of the rise during the last decade of far-right parties in Germany, France and Austria – leading European Union countries. Due to the global financial crisis, ISIS terrorism and Europe’s immigration crisis, far-right parties have gained considerable power in these countries in the last decade. Among the most important issues that these parties have drawn on are Islamophobia and the effects of immigration. They have also strongly benefited by opposing Turkey’s European Union membership bid in agreement with the opinion of a majority of people in their countries. Thus, to secure their own votes against these far-right parties, it has become important for both governing and opposition mainstream parties to oppose Turkey’s European Union membership. By creating such an effect, the rise of far-right parties has become one of the factors alienating Turkey from European Union membership