This study analyzes the impact of domestic factors on the Europeanization of minority
protection policies in Latvia, Bulgaria and Turkey. The study argues that domestic conditions have
significant impact on the decision of the candidate states on fulfilling the EU requirements in the
field of human rights issues during the candidacy period. The study specifically analyzes the
impact of ‘governments’, ‘significant institutions’ and ‘mobilization of ethnic minorities’ as
domestic factors during the time frame between the official candidacies to accession to the
European Union. The methodology combines a review of official European Union documents such
as progress reports, accession documents and human rights reports, press articles, speeches, and
academic literature. The study found that Europeanization can occur with the support of domestic
factors in the field of human rights/ minority protection.