A Research on University Students' Opinions about the European Union

This paper's aim is to analyze university students' opinions about Europe, Europeanship, and Europe Union nowadays when entering European Unions arguments are on. Data's are collected by "interview" method by senior class students in different parts of this qualitative research. In 2008-2009 academic years, 50 students' opinions on European Citizenship, European Union Accordance Process, nationality role and aptitudes about Union (like, dislike) from different students at Education, Political Science, Theology, Law and Communication Faculties of Ankara University are taken. Data were analyzed by descriptive analysis approach, content analysis approach and expressive analysis approach. Study's findings are considered valuable as in order to indicate University students' opinions about Process of Entering European Union and Unity. After having expert opinion, questionnaire questions are below that is half built: (1) What is your opinion on being an exact member of European Union? When does this come true? (2) What are the advantages for Turkey being a member of EU? (3) Do you feel that EU is sincere about accepting Turkey as a member? Why? (4) How does EU affect Turkey's Unitarian system? (5) Is EU is a threat for national identity? (6) Is it possible that understanding can be formed about rights and freedoms between European mutually? Findings are obtained from research: Opinions are shown below in four headings as: (a) Opinions on being exact member or not, (b) Opinions on advantages of being member of the Union, (c) Opinions on member countries of accepting Turkey as EU member, (d) Opinions on European citizenship, national identity and rights and freedoms. Research results are like: 58% of the participants believe that Turkey will be a member of the EU, but this will take a long time. 42% of them think that exact membership will never come true. According to gained results from findings of the research, people who do not support membership of the EU membership state that not accepting to the Union because of language and cultural difference, and Turkey's not being ready for the membership are the main points of their claim. Benefits of the membership are seen as development of economy. Participants' faculties are different; thus, results are different, too. Education faculty students estimate on economical development concept. Theology and law faculties' students state that there will be development in judgment, basic rights and freedoms. Free circulation concept is used by communication faculty senior students. Minority issue and trying to solve this problem at upper identity are another discussed issue during EU membership process. It is seen from the questionnaire that understanding can be formed about rights and freedoms between European mutually idea is shared by half of the students. In addition, some of the students find out this process as wearing out the country. While some participants accept national identity and citizenship as an equal, others think that national identity is a changing disclosure. One of this research results is that participants' idea on unity cannot be supplied in human rights and freedoms in Europe. [This paper was published in "European Turks: Education and Integration. Volume II," p842-853, Erciyes University Press, April 2010.]