Key events in Turkey-EU relations

September 1959: Turkey applies for associate membership of the European Economic Community (EEC). September 1963: An association agreement (known as the Ankara Agreement) is signed, aiming at bringing Turkey into a Customs Union with the EEC and to eventual membership. A first financial protocol to the initial agreement is also signed. November 1970: The Additional Protocol and the second financial protocol are signed in Brussels, preparing the ground for the establishment of the customs union. 14 April 1987: Turkey makes an application for full EEC membership. 1995: Turkey-EU Association Council finalises the agreement creating a customs union between Turkey and the EU. December 1997: At the Luxembourg Summit, Turkey is declared eligible to become a member of the European Union. December 1999: EU Helsinki Council recognises Turkey as an EU candidate country on an equal footing with other candidate countries. March 2001: The EU Council of Ministers adopts the EU- Turkey Accession Partnership. March 2001: The Turkish government presents its National Programme for the Adoption of the Acquis. September 2001: Turkish parliament adopts a major constitutional reform in order to meet the Copenhagen political criteria for EU membership. August 2002: Parliament begins to introduce political and human rights reforms designed to meet the Copenhagen political criteria. 13 December 2002: The Copenhagen European Council resolves that if the European Council in December 2004, on the basis of recommendation from the Commission, decides that Turkey fulfils the Copenhagen political criteria, the EU would open accession negotiations. Meanwhile, EU leaders agree to extend and deepen co-operation on the EC-Turkey Customs Union and to provide the Turkish government with increased pre-accession financial assistance. May 2003: The EU Council of Ministers decides on the principles, priorities, intermediate objectives and conditions of the Accession Partnership with Turkey. October 2004: The Commission presents its “Recommendation of the European Commission on Turkey’s Progress towards accession” along with its paper “Issues Arising from Turkey’s Membership Perspective.” 17 December 2004: The European Council defines the conditions for the opening of accession negotiations.

*Source: European Union