Relations between Turkey and the European Union

Turkey’s relations with the EU started on the basis of a partnership regime established by the Ankara Agreement which was signed with the European Community on 12 September 1963. The Agreement entered into force on 1 December 1964.

The Ankara Agreement foresees a gradual process for Turkey’s EU integration. As a first step, Turkey signed a Customs Union agreement with the EU on 31 December 1995 and was officially recognised as a candidate for full membership on December 12th, 1999, at the Helsinki summit of the European Council. Accession Negotiations between Turkey and EU were started on October 3rd, 2005.

“Turkey’s Program for Alignment with the EU Acquis 2007-2013” contains the necessary legislative preparations to be completed within the period between 2007-2013 on the 33 chapters that constitute the basis of the accession negotiations.

European Commission 2007 Progress Report on Turkey underlined that the parliamentary elections held in July 2007 were free and fair, and the new government presented an EU-oriented reform agenda. The areas in which further improvement are expected appeared in the Report, much as they have in the previous iterations.