Browsing by Subject "Greece and the EU"
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Item Open Access Greece's accession to the EU and its integration process(Bilkent University, 2004) Gürzel, Günay AylinEuropean integration has affected regions in various ways and it has created economic winners and losers. Reform of European regional policy and the creation of the Structural Funds have drawn countries more closely into the EU policy process. Countries have formed a queue to enter the EU and get a share of the structural funds that EU gives out to member countries. This thesis examines Greece's experience as a member of the European Union (EU). While evaluating the Greek experience within the EU, we derive three significant policy lessons that apply both to similar countries, in particular Turkey, now on the queue to join in the club. First, countries that enter the EU must improve the structural deficiencies of their economies before entry in order to minimize the impact of increased competition after the removal of trade protection and trade barriers. In addition, they should follow domestic policies that maintain and promote their comparative advantage within the EU. Second, the ‘Convergence Criteria’ have proven to be a successful mechanism for countries with a poor policy record to achieve macroeconomic stability, as shown in the case of Greece when it demonstrated a clear will to join the European Monetary Union (EMU). This suggests that if there is a motivation the government can indeed better the macroeconomic balances of a certain country. Third, common EU policies can be very helpful in facilitating structural reforms in small economies. Yet, these policies must be continuously evaluated and improved so that their effectiveness could be maximized because conditions change and nothing remains the same in this rapidly changing world.Item Open Access The Turco-Greek dispute and Turkey's relations with the European Union(Bilkent University, 2001) Gökakın, Behice ÖzlemTurkish-European Union relations are strained by a number of conflicting issues, such as human rights, and the Turco-Greek dispute. Until the Helsinki Summit of 1999, Greece was the most vocal opponent of Turkey joining the EU and it appeared the single most difficulty in the way of Turkey’s accession to the EU. At the Helsinki Summit of 1999, Greece dropped its opposition, allowing Turkey to be declared by the EU as a candidate and this has changed the course of both the Turco-Greek and Turkey-EU relations. There is no doubt that all this heralded a new beginning in relations. But a closer examination of the Greek foreign policy towards Turkey seems to suggest that Greece’s expectations from Turkey with regard to Cyprus and the Aegean have not changed. The aim of this thesis is to analyze the connection between the two very important foreign policy issues of Turkey, namely the TurkeyEuropean Union relations and the Turco-Greek dispute and the role played by the Greek factor in Turkey-EU relations