ABSTRACT
This chapter deals with the misfit between the European Union (EU) regional development policy and the Turkish practice by looking at the EU requirements and the Turkish case in pre-accession process. It analyzes the Europeanization process taking place at the regional development domain. The chapter explains the outcomes of the process. The mechanism of Europeanization is a mechanism of lesson-drawing, where the EU provides the benchmark and basic guidelines and expects the member states or potential member states to find the best practice in line with EU standards. In terms of the mechanism of change triggered by Europeanization, it is possible to argue that the outcome of the process depends on the domestic institutional structure and position of the major political actors. In Turkish regional policy reform case, the EU membership prospects and financial instruments of pre-accession have triggered a policy transfer by which Turkey tried to reform its regional development policy according to the principles provided by the EU.
