European Security and Defence Policy: Turkey's future in the European defence

More than half a century old European security and defense balance is gradually changing after the end of the Cold War. The European Integration Movement initiated after the II. World War is developing into a political integration, including Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) and cooperation in the fields of justice and home affairs. The European CFSP is as old as the economic integration movement. After the unsuccessful previous attempts, Europe is focusing again on CFSP, thus it included these areas into the context of EU's common policies. The USA emerged from the Cold War as the only super power. The USA is less committed towards European matters after the disappearance of the common threat in Europe. Thus, USA's priority in Europe is to preserve the stability. The EU, started initiation of the CFSP with the Maastricht Treaty, and unveiled the Common Security and Defense Policy (CSDP), the defense dimension of CFSP with the Amsterdam Treaty. CSDP's main principles were laid in the EU Cologne Summit, and EU Helsinki Summit accelerated the process. In this context, the EU decided to form the Rapid Reaction Force by 2003, thus adapted the Headline Goal.160 The EU Feira Summit specified ad hoc and vague consultative mechanisms in relation to the participation of non-EU NATO members for its CSDP. In the Nice Summit, these mechanisms were further elaborated. The EU desires to obtain assured access to NATO's capabilities. However, countries like Turkey, which have been denied to participate in the decision taking process of the CSDP, are hesitant to allow the EU to get assured access to NATO's capabilities. The end of the Cold War and dissolution of the Soviet Union created new opportunities and new risks for Turkey. The risks for Turkey are largely originating from the Middle East. The strategic position of Turkey, which was in the center of the European security and defense policies during the Cold War, is shifting to the periphery under the new circumstances. The CSDP is the consequence of EU's will to play a bigger role in international affairs, commensurate with its economic and political power. The CSDP will probably encompass the geography, of which Turkey has vital interests. This is especially important regarding Turkey's long standing disputes with Greece. Therefore, the participation of non-EU NATO members to the ESDP has been a dispute between Turkey and the EU. The proposed solution, which needs to be approved by the EU Laeken Summit in December, could accelerate the development of the ESDP.