Turkey and Eu Relation

The beginning of official relations between the European Union and Turkey dates back to 31 July 1959, when Turkey applied for association following the establishment of the European Economic Community by six countries. The EEC Council of Ministers accepted the application, and after the negotiations that followed the Ankara Agreement creating an association between the European Economic Community and Turkey. The aim of this Agreement was to promote the continuous and balanced strengthening of trade and economic relations between the Parties, while taking full account of the need to ensure an accelerated development of the Turkish economy and to improve the level of employment and the living conditions of the Turkish people. With the Ankara Agreement, an Association Council, that met periodically and discussed matters involving the partnership, was formed. This institutional framework was widened with implementation of the last phase of the Customs Union.

With the signing of the Additional Protocol, Turkey has accepted abolishing customs duties on the EU's industrial exports and adopting the common external tariff of the EC that is applied to third countries. According to this a transition period of 12 years for lifting tariffs on industrial goods and a 22-year-long tariff removal calendar for weak industrial sectors were foreseen.

However, Turkey did not fulfil its responsibilities during the transition period, and tariff removal has halted between 1978 and 1988. The relations that were frozen after the 1980 military coup were given new acceleration with Turkey's application for full membership on 14 April 1987. The Commission, in its reply in 1989, stated that they will not be able to accept a new member until it has completed its internal market harmonization