EUROPEAN UNION – TURKEY RELATIONS REACTIONS OF POLITICAL PARTIES AND PUBLIC IN TURKEY TO THE RELIGIOUS FREEDOM AND MINORITY RIGHTS REFORMS CALLED BY EUROPEAN UNION AND REACTIONS OF EUROPEAN UNION TO THE IMPLEMENTATIONS OF THESE REFORMS

Abstract

After becoming a candidate member of Turkey to European Union at the end of 2005, European Union demanded to continue implement political reforms from Turkey such as religious freedom and minority rights. However, these reforms demands in Turkey were not welcomed by the all political actors and citizens. While European Union declared that Turkey needs further efforts to implement the religious freedom and minority rights reforms; with the negative memories about both ethnic and religious minorities from the history, Turkish side were assessed the religious freedom and minority rights demands of European Union as a threat to country and Turkish side avoided to implement these reforms.