Turkey's candidacy for EU membership

As a candidate for membership, Turkey has attained recognition from its European neighbors that it belongs in the European club of states - a status sought by Turkish and Ottoman governments for almost 150 years. However, unlike in the case of other candidate countries, accession talks would not begin until Turkey completes a series of economic and political reforms. This paper evaluates the nature of EU-Turkey relations and assesses Turkey's prospects for eventual membership in the Union.