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Since the beginning of relations between Turkey and the European Community (which became the European Union in 1993), the topic of Europe has animated the partisan sphere in Turkey. Increasingly, the topic of Europe constitutes a structuring element in the political life of Turkey. It was—and should continue to be—at the basis of many changes in the composition and rebuilding of alliances in the political and social arena in Turkey. All along the modern history of the country, the meaning of the accession of Turkey to European organizations is proof of the success of its model of Westernization and democratization. This perception is reinforced by the fact that relations between Turkey and the European Union have a real effect in terms of the gradual consolidation of its democracy, a process citizens and political forces can observe via the process of adjustment to the standards enacted by the Union.