ABSTRACT
For both the EU and Turkey, seeurity eonsiderations have played an important part in their poliey formulation vis-a-vis eaeh other. During the Cold War era, Turkey's foreign poliey was, to a large extent, shaped by the fear of the Communist threat from the Soviet Union. It was the 'Soviet threat' to Turkish territorial integrity and demand for politieal influenee in the wake of the Seeond World War that foreed Turkey to join all kinds of organizations in the Western bloe during the Cold War era. From this perspeetive, she applied for assoeiate membership of the EU. Sinee the end of the Cold War, seeurity faetors have eontinued to be an important eomponent of EU-Turkey relations; in faet, Turkey's seeurity assets have not only eonstituted solid grounds for the EU to make an effort to maintain eloser relations with Turkey, but it has also provided a strong argument for Turkey to make her membership more aeeeptable to tbe EU.
