"Turkey's EU Membership's Impact on Black Sea Rim
Sedat LACINER
Countries that abut the Black Sea are more of a difficulty for Europe in terms of integration, liberalization, and democratization. The Black Sea littorals are Turkey, Bulgaria, Rumania, Moldavia, Ukraine, the Russia, and Georgia. The country with the longest Black Sea coast, Turkey, also has the strategic straits of Istanbul and Çanakkale, which connect the Black Sea to the Mediterranean. However, only those seven countries should not solely occupy one’s mind when one speaks of the Black Sea basin. The Black Sea is the gateway that connects the Caucasus to the rest world. Almost all Northern Balkan territories are in this basin. Many Central and Eastern European countries, through the Danube, link to the Mediterranean via the Black Sea. While being a transit spot on the Asia-Europe route, it is also a critical junction in the north-south course. With Bulgarian, Romanian and prospect Turkish accession to the EU, the entire western and southern coasts of the Black Sea would become EU territory, and this would warrant a renewed interest in the need and potential for Black Sea regional cooperation.[1] "
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