The importance of Turkey's Afghanistan Policy in terms of Turkey-European Union relations

Turkey?s European Union membership adventure has been continuing for more than half of the century. Although Turkey-EU relations had begun in 1959 through Turkey?s application to association and Turkey applied for membership in 1987 and the accession negotiations had started in 2005, the process is still pending. Several reasons have been proposed that prevent Turkey?s membership status, yet the main reason is the Cyprus issue.Evaluating from a realistic perspective, international relations are not only dynamic and changing relations; but also relationships of interests. Actors of international relations such as states and international organizations always try to maximize their own benefits and interests. In a relationship where the benefits are superior to the costs actors definitely try to provide a legitimate proportion. Therefore, the relations of actors in international relations are embodied by various factors. In debates about the dynamic environment of Turkey-EU relations, especially after 2001 when global security problems increased, Afghanistan made it to the top of the agenda. Side by side with other sovereign states and international organization that were involved in Afghanistan?s operations, Turkey and European Union have also taken a major part. Thus, after 2001 Afghanistan had become a new element to oblige Turkey and the European Union to cooperate within the same platform.According to security analysis, in the contemporary world, the new security approach that is human security is considered to be more significant than the classical security approach, which advocates state security. Although Turkey?s policy toward Afghanistan contributes to Turkey?s membership to European Union, Afghanistan?s security, particularly Afghan people?s security is more essential. Realism as a leading theory in the discipline of international relations advocates that actor?s actions are based on interest and their relationships are mainly focusing on an analysis of cost-benefit. Liberalism being another dominant theory in the discipline of international relations supports that not only the states play a major role in the international arena but also other organizations play a considerable role.