ABSTRACT
The changing attitude of Islamic elite such as politicians, intellectuals and businessmen towards the West via the European Union (EU) is one of the greatest historical shifts in modern Turkish history, with implications on the broader Islam-West relations. The challenge of the West was taken as a matter of survival since the Islamic lands were penetrated by European powers politically, militarily and economically by the 19th century. It was also raising questions about the ability of Islamic civilization to produce wealth, power and science in the modern age. Westernization presuming the possibility of a civilizational shift was viewed by the conservatives as rejection of Islam. Consequently, the EU membership process served as a catalyst for Islamic circles to revisit their historical view of the West and Westernization as adversaries. The Independent Association of Industrialists and Businessmen (MUSIAD) has come to support the democratization process and political reforms, as required by Turkey's EU membership bid in the post-1999 period.
