Türkiye'nin AB'ye üyelik sürecinde lobicilik faaliyetlerinin rolü

Decision-making in democratic systems is an open process. It is a process in which before decisions are made, public authorities learn the opinions and views of relevant parties and find a way to compromise. The parties affected by the decisions will try to influence the authorities in line with their interests. These activities, called lobbying, have become an important part of the political culture in modern democratic countries. The aim is to influence the political mechanism in decision-making processes. These structural features in democratic systems are also reflected in the structure of the European Union (EU). Turkey is a unique example for one of the longest membership processes a country has had to the EU and the role of lobbying is valuable in terms of introducing Turkey throughout this process. Lobbying is based on an ethical framework in the EU and transparency is essential. Contrary to this, in Turkey, lobbying activities have not been placed in an official framework nor a legal basis and it is an informal field. Examining the role of lobbying and how it is socially constructed in this relationship accordingly with interests and as a result of interactions, will help to better understand some of the EU's criticisms of Turkey and Turkey's deficiencies in this area. It would not be correct to attribute the current point of Turkey-EU relations entirely to lobbying, but despite this long-standing relationship with ups and downs, both sides do not give up on each other and examining the role of lobbying will bring a different perspective to their relations.