Bulgarian perspective on Turkish EU membership

Denitsa Pirinova Sokolova (Fatih University, Istanbul, Turkey) [BIO]

Email: karolina.fbg@gmail.com

 

ABSTRACT:

The official policy of Bulgaria for the issue Turkey to be member of the European Union is positive. However, in order to understand better what makes the position of Bulgarian to agree, Turkey to become part of the European Union I give attention of three things: the position of the Bulgarian government, the position of the Bulgarian media and lastly but also very important the position of the society in Bulgaria. I will try to analyze the ideas of each of these three groups, which I mention above, and their perspectives, for and against Turkish membership in the European Union. In the essay, it will be stress on the Bulgarian society and mostly the position of the Muslims in Bulgaria, which are nearly 12% from the all, Bulgarian population. Do they give importance Turkey to be part of the European Union? What is the role, if there is such a role of the Muslims in Bulgaria (also called Bulgarian Turks) for the position, which the Republic of Bulgaria has for the issue Turkey and its membership in the European Union? In other words, how the Muslims in Bulgaria have affected the accession process and/ or it affects Bulgarian position to Turkish membership.