The Political Economy of Turkey's Integration Into Europe - (Progress in Political Economy) by Elif Uzgören (Hardcover)

About the Book

The political economy of Turkey's integration into Europe studies trajectory of Turkey's integration with Europe from a critical political economy perspective in the last two decades through embarking on historical materialism.

Book Synopsis

This book examines Turkey's integration with Europe within structural dynamics of globalisation from a critical political economy perspective. Critical approaches have been sidelined within European Studies. Turkish enlargement is not an exemption. The analyses are based on original data generated by 109 interviews conducted in 2010, 2017 and 2023 with five categories of actors: representatives of capital and labour, political parties, state officials, and struggles around ecology, patriarchy and migration. It argues that the pro-membership was hegemonic in the 2000s which was contested by two rival class strategies, Ha-vet and neo-mercantilism. In the 2010s, pro-membership is no longer hegemonic within rising critical tone of social forces supporting rival class strategies. Unevenness of Turkey's trajectory of integration to Europe is likely to be consolidated through market integration and management of migration through transactional approach.

From the Back Cover

'Addressing debates on uneven development, the crisis of hegemony, and authoritarian neoliberalism The political economy of Turkey's integration into Europe delivers a major statement on the rival class strategies shaping Turkey's market integration, from Elif Uzgören--one of the most astute critics of political economy.' Adam David Morton, Professor of Political Economy, University of Sydney

'Uzgören shows us the inadequacy of mainstream theories of European integration. She brings class analysis to the centre of the debate, applying historical materialist methods to a subject that has been ignored or poorly researched in previous studies.' Mustafa Türkes, Department of International Relations, METU, Ankara

Critical approaches have for a long time been sidelined within European Studies - Turkish enlargement is not an exemption. This book analyses the trajectory of Turkey's integration into Europe from a critical political economy perspective. Drawing on over 100 interviews conducted at two historical moments, the volume considers the position of social forces in Turkey through the analytical lens of uneven development and hegemony. It argues that pro-membership was indeed hegemonic in the 2000s, contested by two rival class-strategies: Ha-vet (No to Capital's Europe, but yes to Social Europe) and neo-mercantilism. As the first historical materialist reading of Turkey-EU relations as an instance of class struggle to be published in English, The political economy of Turkey's integration into Europe provides a novel conceptual engagement between historical materialism and post-Marxism through reflections from a peripheral country.

Review Quotes

'The Political Economy of Turkey's integration into Europe: Uneven Development and Hegemony by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Elif Uzgören is based on real and genuine research. Uzgören shows us the inadequacy of mainstream theories of European integration. She brings class analysis to the centre of the debate, applying historical materialist methods to a subject that has been ignored or poorly researched in previous studies. She substantiates her argument with dozens of in-depth interviews with representatives of trade unions and associations of capital in Turkey. This book will be useful for academics, journalists and students.'
Prof. Dr. Mustafa Türkes, Department of International Relations, METU, Ankara

'Addressing debates on uneven development, the crisis of hegemony, and authoritarian neoliberalism, The Political Economy of Turkey's Integration into Europe delivers a major statement on the rival class strategies shaping Turkey's market integration, from Elif Uzgören - one of the most astute critics of political economy.'
Adam David Morton, Professor of Political Economy, University of Sydney

'Although the protracted saga of Turkey's quest for the EU membership is on the backburner, it is no doubt imperative to develop a historical materialist perspective of Turkey-EU relations, concomitant with the former's neoliberal transformation in the era of financialisation. This book aims to contribute to this endeavour by providing not only a critique of the mainstream analyses on the subject, but also underlining the saliency of power relations and alternative hegemonic projects therein, to come to terms with the ways in which Turkey-EU relations have currently been facing an impass.'
Galip L. Yalman, Associate Professor (retired) of Political Science, Department of Political Science and Public Administration, METU, Ankara

About the Author

Elif Uzgören is Associate Professor of International Political Economy at the Department of International Relations, Dokuz Eylül University, Turkey.