Poland and Turkey in the European Integration Process – Comparative Analysis

Poland and Turkey are different states in many respects, including the stage of relations with the European Union. The former has been a EU member for ten years now, the latter – is still an associate member. However, in the case of Poland and Turkey there are many similar problems, which have been obstacles in the integration with the European Union. It is worth investigating them, including a very important and complex issue, i.e. the EU impact on these states (Europeanization) – particularly their political systems, in the context of some dilemmas. The research goal is the comparative analysis of these issues and the explanation of the existing similarities and differences. The main hypothesis is that the similarities of problems within the integration with the EU are mainly a result of the common systemic and ideological features of Poland and Turkey, despite different cultural and national settings. The existing differences in turn are not only a result of the objective dissimilarities but also the determinants of the enlargement process at a given time. The following questions will be posed to support the hypothesis: What were/are the main problems in the pre-accession process of Turkey and Poland and what are their reasons? How does the EU affect the Turkish and Polish political systems? Can we observe similar or different processes within the Europeanization of both countries?