Turkish Border Regions and Cross-Border Cooperation in the EU Accession Process: The Case of Edirne and Kirklareli

Turkey has been engaging in cross-border cooperation projects for over a decade, and these accelerated following the granting of EU candidacy status to Turkey. The major cross-border cooperation activities take place on the western border regions of Turkey, namely on Edirne and Kirklareli, two provinces which border EU member country Bulgaria. Here, under the auspices of the IPA-CBC programme, several projects have been realized targeting various sectors, from infrastructure development to joint festival preparations. In addition, various actors from public institutions related to central government, municipalities, business organizations and NGOs have been involved in the process of generating a diverse institutional structure. Based on a field study conducted in the summer of 2013, this study aims to explore the established institutional structure of cross-border cooperation in Edirne-Kirklareli Border Region, by analyzing the projects realized, and questioning central-local relations and perceptions of cross border cooperation projects among the local actors through in-depth interviews.