THE IMPACT OF EU CONDITIONALITY ON DEMOCRATISATION IN TURKEY: THE CASE OF CIVIL-MILITARY RELATIONS IN THE PERIOD OF 1999-2008

This article explores the impact of EU conditionality on democratisation in Turkey by delving into the institutional transformation and policy (re)formation in the area of civil-military relations. The internal and external factors stemming from external incentives and social learning models in the framework of Europeanisation are operationalized to identify reasons behind the domestic change in Turkey concerning the political actors, institutions, cultural norms and values embedded in Turkish political system. They are tested by a cross-periodical analysis to trace the process on policy changes at the national level under the influence of EU conditionality. The results support the assumption that irrespective of different theoretical approaches, a complete domestic change can be achieved if favourable domestic conditions and strong conditionality are maintained.