As we all know, Europe and the United States (US) had been the engines of world development in the last few centuries. However, emergence of new actors into the picture in recent decades has changed the global economic environment. Despite the fact that the role of the US has been continuing with an increasing weight, that of the EU has been rather slow. And hence today together with the US, new global actors are coming to the forefront, for example emerging from Asia such as China and India. To be more precise, between the years 1980 and 2004, the share of the EU-15 trade in total world trade decreased by 25.3 percent while that of East Asia and Pacific region countries increased by 165 percent. During the same period, the US also increased its share in total world trade by 13 percent. 4  3  Blair, T. (23 June 2005). “PM Speech to the EU Parliament”. EU Parliament. 4  The World Bank. Own calculations. 2/8  4 5  We observe a similar pattern in terms of growth as well. In fact, the largest rise in shares in total world output since 1980 belong to East Asia and Pacific region countries by 68 percent. However, the share of EU-15 s output in total world output decreased by 6.8 percent during the same period.5 It is exactly at this point that Turkey comes into the picture of the EU as one of the new actors in the global economy.
In historical perspective, as you all know very well, the EU is a "sui generis" structure implying a legal, political and economic project of integration shaped around contemporary values. Quoting Prime Minister Tony Blair's own words; "This is a union of values, of solidarity between nations and people, of not just a common market in which we trade but a common political space in which we live as citizens." 1 On the other side, as Atatürk, the founder of the modern Turkish Republic, clearly stated; "the contemporary level of civilisation" has always been Turkey's main objective since its foundation as a republic out of the ashes of the Ottoman Empire. Therefore, considering the main principles of the EU and Turkey's desire to reach the contemporary level of civilisation, Turkey's everlasting willingness to be a member of the EU shouldn't be surprising. Accordingly, Turkey had applied to the EU for full membership in 1959. During these 46 years, governments with different political views have been in charge. Despite some delays, setbacks and obstacles in relations with the Union all over this period, our aim of full membership has never changed. Also, the majority of the Turkish society has always been supporting the main goal of full membership. In fact, 68 percent of the public who answered the most recent questionnaire of Euro Barometer in 2005 responded in favour of full membership. The second point I want to make is about the whole process leading to the eventual membership of Turkey to the EU.