A Youthful Turkey: An Asset or a Burden for the EU?, Spring 2006

This article explores topics related to Turkey's demography and immigration to the European Union, as well as the competitive pressure Turkey might add to the EU upon its prospective membership.. The article goes on to ask what Turkey's role is in its neighborhood and particularly, what a youthful population means in this context.Turkey is a youthful nation. The total fertility rate (average number of children per woman) stands at 2.5, down from 3.5 in the 1970s and is expected to decline further as economic prosperity increases1. This downward trend is accompanied by Turkey's population growth rate which has fallen to 1.4 percent per year according to the latest United Nations figures. As of 2003, the country had 71 million inhabitants, and is projected to have 98 million by 2050. In 2015 Turkey will match the population of Germany and continue growing...Please click here to read the text in full.