Does Turkey belong to Europe?

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My thesis, entitled ‘Does Turkey belong to Europe? A comparative analysis of the public debate in the media in Germany, France and the UK concerning Turkey’s accession to the EU, from 1999 to 2005’ focused on whether a European public sphere exists or is emerging in the media of the UK, Germany, and France. I analyzed the formation of this sphere in relation to national and European identities that arose during the public debate on Turkey's EU accession. The central question was how Turkey's accession could illuminate the interaction between national and European identities across member states. Notably, the EU allowed individual states to decide on accession through referenda, enabling national identity to take precedence over European identity. I examined public attitudes in the three countries using Eurobarometer data and national media opinion pieces. Despite differences, a public debate emerged that transcended these variations, with common questions about underlying values of identity. My research revealed that articulated values often related to shared religious and historical roots, democratic evolution, aversion to war, and economic transformation. I found that national identities tend to converge when compared to the American context, as evidenced by widespread protests against U.S. actions in Iraq. Ultimately, I concluded that a cohesive European public sphere does not exist; rather, the public engages in a mixed sp