A dream become nightmare? Turkey's entry into the European Union

"As long as Turkey's desire for EU membership represented an abstract ideal ..., Turkey's military and civilian elite could avoid acknowledging the pot ential political costs of membership in the EU. And as long as the European s kept Turkey at arm's length, that elite's willingness to implement the do mestic reforms necessary for EU membership was never put to the test. All t his changed... with the EUS decision to accept Turkey's candidacy for membe rship.".