Cover -- Contents -- ABBREVIATIONS -- PREFACE AND ACKNOWLEDGMENTS -- 1. THE REVIVAL OF RELIGION IN WORLD AND EUROPEAN POLITICS -- 1.1 Religion and politics: the relationship between the two and the impact of religion on politics -- 1.2 The return of religious discussion to world and European politics -- 1.3 Secularisation Theory, Desecularisation Thesis and European Exceptionalism -- 2. TURKEY AND THE EUROPEAN UNION -- 2.1 EU eastward enlargement -- 2.2 The history of the Westernisation of Turkey and of its relations with the EU -- 2.3 Formal obstacles: domestic political and economic factors and other (Cyprus, Kurdish and Armenian) issues -- 2.4 Semi-formal obstacles: geography, demography, security and institutional factor -- 2.5 Informal obstacles: religious and cultural factors -- 3. THE COMPATIBILITY OF ISLAM WITH DEMOCRACY -- 3.1 Western and Muslim values: are they in harmony or do they conflict? -- 3.2 Is Islam compatible with liberal-democracy? -- 3.3 The issue of secularism: the relation of Islam and Christianity with the state -- 3.4 An Islamic Reformation: is this necessary and possible? -- 3.5 Can Turkey maintain a balance between secular democracy and culture? -- 4. WHAT PLACE DO RELIGION ANDCULTURE HAVE IN THE DEBATE ON TURKISH CANDIDACY -- 4.1 Religion and culture: two separate concepts? -- 4.2 European identity -- 4.3 Actors in the debate -- 5. REASONS FOR THE INCREASE OF EUROPEAN OPPOSITION SINCE 2001 -- 5.1 The rise of Islamic fundamentalism around the world and its implications for Europe -- 5.2 The increase of the Muslim population in Western Europe and their degree of integration into European society -- 5.3 Fear of the Islamisation of Europe -- 5.4 The prospect of a country of 70 million Muslims becoming part of the EU -- 5.5 Political Islam as part of Turkey's mainstream politics -- CONCLUSION -- APPENDIX I -- APPENDIX II.

NOTES -- BIBLIOGRAPHY -- INDEX.