The protests that have rocked Turkey over the past week have had a distinctly internal character.

But one must not underestimate the regional effects that the government's crackdown may have, particularly in relation to the European Union.

Turkey's accession to the EU has been put on the long finger for quite some time since it formally applied for membership in 1987 (it has been an official candidate country since 1999), with opposition from certain member states over immigration, cultural and religious concerns, its relations with Cyprus, recognition of the Armenian genocide and a thorny relationship with Greece.

But human rights is also more than just a concern for the member states and is part of the requirements for membership.

Indeed last week a non-binding resolution by the EU Parliament criticised the Turkish government for its "disproportionate and excessive use of force".

German MEP Elmar Brok not too subtly warned that Turkey, a staunchly secular and democratic state, ''should understand how to deal with criticism."

A parliamentary visit to the Turkish capital Ankara was also scrapped - a move condemned by the country's President Recep Tayyip Erodgan. 

Yet Turkey's relations with the EU were already fraught prior to this latest disagreement.

Turkish PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan

Ireland six month turn in the rotating EU Presidency ends in June, but before we took up the role, Cyprus held the presidency from July 1st to December 31st 2012. During that time, Turkey had frozen relations with the regional bloc, a sign that the country has a long way to go.

In addition the negotiation process has been moving at a snail's pace partly due to Turkey's failings in certain areas and ardent opposition from Germany and France during Nicolas Sarkozy's time.

To acceed to the EU, Turkey must satisfy 33 out of 35 "Chapters" or EU laws which include falling into line on sectors like taxation, competition policy and agriculture.

But at this moment in time, Turkey has generally satisfied fewer than half of those Chapters. 

Indeed the areas that Turkey has yet to satisfy according to the EU, tend to be related to human rights.

As it stands, Turkey does not fully satsify Chapters related to  Judiciary & Fundamental Rights, and Justice, Freedom & Security.

The current protests and the disproportionate response which has seen Erdogan threaten to send the army onto the streets to disperse demonstrations also has another dimension.

The army, which in the past has had a taste for coup d'etats, has long been seen as a threat to successful membership of the EU so a decision to use the armed forces could be a death knell to EU membership.

Indeed as recently as 2010, 40 senior officers were arrested for allegedly plotting to stage a coup.

Even if the army is not let off its leash, the likelihood is that the EU membership date of 2022 may be pushed back even further due to the tear gas and plastic bullet-riddled response to the protests