Ethnic Russians and minority rights in the Baltic states during their EU accession process

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Tezin Türü: Yüksek Lisans

Tezin Yürütüldüğü Kurum: Orta Doğu Teknik Üniversitesi, İktisadi ve İdari Bilimler Fakültesi, Uluslararası İlişkiler Bölümü, Türkiye

Tezin Onay Tarihi: 2007

Öğrenci: ÖZGE GÜNGÖR

Danışman: OKTAY FIRAT TANRISEVER

Özet:

This thesis examines the impact of the Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania’s European accession process on the Russian oriented citizenship policies and laws of these states from a comparative perspective. The thesis also explores the impact of communist heritage and the construction of the post-communist state order within the context of minority rights; in addition to the consistency of the citizenship laws in the Baltic states with the European Union norms, which require the respect for and protection of minorities. The main argument of this thesis is that notwithstanding the fact that the European accession process has promoted minority rights in the three Baltic states significantly, the ethnic Russians in the Baltic states have been partially accommodated during the Baltic states’ accession into the EU. The ethnic Russians have not been entirely accommodated due to Baltic states’ fear from potential influence of the Russian Federation over the ethnic Russians in these Baltic states.