The European Union's immigration policy and Turkey

One of the most important results of globalization is the increase of all kinds of mobility in the world. In this context, human mobility is more intense than ever in history, and people of problematic regions have headed for prosperous regions with the hope of a better life. Today, the most striking example of this situation is that immigrants from Asian and African countries struggling with various troubles try to reach EU countries due to current opportunities of these EU countries. Accordingly, the management of this human mobility, almost all of which is in the status of irregular migration, has become the main priority for the EU. Turkey, due to its geographical location containing migrating sites in its hinterland, is an indispensable partner for the EU's irregular migration management. Furthermore, the presence of more than 5 million Turkish immigrants in European countries constitutes another immigration-based common ground for Turkey and the EU. As a result, immigration policies have always particular significance to Turkey's EU journey, which started as a member of European Economic Community on 1963 and turned into a candidate country conducting full membership negotiations with the EU on 2005. Recently, it is seen that relations between the EU and Turkey are carried out substantially on the basis of irregular migration management. In particular, irregular immigration commenced on 2011, right after the Syrian crisis, is located in the centre of Turkey-EU relations, which is likely to remain the same in the upcoming period. Based on this fact, it can be easily said that immigration policies will maintain their weight in EU-Turkey relations.