Columbia International Affairs Online: Policy Briefs

CIAO DATE: 12/2012

What the EU can do to support further minority protection in Turkey

Gözde Yilmaz

April 2012

Kolleg-Forschergruppe "The Transformative Power of Europe"

Abstract

Considering the recent developments in the EU member states, such as French dismantling of Roma camps, minority protection within the EU has increasingly become questionable. Although the EU often neglects the track record of member states’ records in minority rights, minority protection has increasingly received EU’s attention in the accession process of Central and Eastern European Countries (CEECs). Minority discontent as a potential threat to the stability of Europe in the aftermath of the Cold War has triggered the EU to focus on minority rights. However, the improvement of minority rights in candidate countries remains limited, especially considering the implementation of minority rules adopted in the pre-accession process.