This thesis addresses the reasons for Turkey’s rejection by the European Union focusing on the issues of human rights violations and democratic instability. The proposition that these political issues are the basis for EU's refusal to admit Turkey to the Union, is developed by means of an analysis of Europe’s historic movement towards ever greater political integration, Turkey’s relations with Europe during its separate historical development, and the sometimes conflicting European/Turkish views on the concept of human rights and the role of the military in Turkish politics. Finally, survey material is utilized to illustrate that the European Union is widely viewed in Turkey as primarily an economic rather than political entity, a finding which may help explain the apparent discrepancy in opinion between Turkey and Europe regarding European rejection of the Turkish bid to join the Union.