Riedel, Hartwig; Müller, Erik: Politik & Co, Politik-Wirtschaft für das Gymnasium, Niedersachsen. Vol. 2. Bamberg: C. C. Buchner Verlag, 2016, 282–283.
In the first part different voices for and against Turkey´s accession are listed as a basis for a controversial discussion.
(1) See Tatje, C.: Die Rolle des Schulbuchs bei der Vermittlung der Europäischen Union. Empirische Untersuchung zu Nutzung und Wirkung im politischen Fachunterricht, Wiesbaden: Springer VS, 2017, 99.
European unification appealed greatly to the European states from the beginning, leading to 28 additional states having found their place in the European house today, following the six original founding states. Every candidate country has to share the basic ideals of the EU and fulfil the Copenhagen criteria. For more than 50 years, Turkey has hoped for accession to the European Union. In October 2005, the EU officially started accession negotiations with Turkey. However, the accession of Turkey to the EU is assessed controversially. The opponents see an incompatibility of Islamic and Christian culture, high costs of economic integration and a problem for security strategic reasons. The supporters see a chance for the political integration of different cultures, the possibility to counterbalance economic imbalances in Europe and the extension of the EU peace model to an Islamic influenced country.
Discussed controversially: Should Turkey be part of the EU?
In ten years Turkey will have 80 million inhabitants and therefore no less than Germany has. Or as many as the ten new EU member states currently have. Turkey is too big. In the medium run it would be the EU’s most populous country and for that reason have the most members in the EU parliament.
Turkey does not belong to Europe. Turkey is an Islamic country and its accession could endanger the European identity. Europe ends at the Bosporus. With the EU accession of Turkey, Iran, Iraq, and Syria would be our direct neighbours.
1. First, organise the pros and cons and compare them.
2. Then attribute weightings andtake a justified position on whether Turkey should already become a member of the EU.