CHRONOLOGY OF TURKEY - EU RELATIONS
1959
September 1959: The EEC Council of Ministers accepted Ankara's and Athens' applications for associate membership.
1963
September 1963: The Ankara Agreement (an Association Agreement) was signed to take Turkey to Customs Union and finally to full EEC membership. The first financial protocol was also signed.
1968
December 1968: Negotiations on the Additional Protocol started.
1970
October 26, 1970: First Customs Cooperation Committee meeting.
November 23, 1970: The Additional Protocol and the second financial protocol signed in Brussels.
1971
July 1971: The Additional Protocol was approved in the Turkish Grand National Assembly with 149 votes for and 69 against.
1973
January 1973: The Additional Protocol went into force. A step to lowering customs duties and harmonization of the consolidated liberation list started.
1980
During the first half of the 1980's relations between Turkey and the Community stagnated. There was a long suspension period following the military coup d'etat on 12 September 1980.
June 1980: The Association Council decided to decrease customs duties on almost all agricultural products to "zero" by 1987.
1982
January 1982: The European Parliament decided not to renew the European wing of the Joint Parliamentary Commission until a general election was held and a parliament established.
1986
September 1986: Turkey-EEC Association Council met.
1987
April 14, 1987: Turkey applied for full EEC membership. Ali Bozer submitted the application to Brussels.
1992
May 1992: The first Steering Committee meeting was held.
1993
March 18, 1993: At a meeting in Brussels, the procedures for the work and duties of the Steering Committee set-up to prepare Turkey for Customs Union, were determined.
October 1993: The Turkey-EU Association Council met and decided that the technical preparations had been completed and Turkey had fulfilled the greater part of its obligations.
1995
March 1995: Turkey-EU Association Council decision on the customs union
1999
December 1999: EU Helsinki Council decision of December 1999 on the candidate status of Turkey
2000
December 2000: The EU Council of Ministers decision on the draft framework regulation on assistance to Turkey in the framework of the pre-acession strategy
2001
January 2001: The Council of the European Union accepted a donation of 130 million € which will be given to Turkey between the years of 2001 and 2003.
February 2001: The framework code which constitutes the base of the procedures related to Accession Partnership and the base of the donation that Turkey will receive from the Accession Partnership was accepted.
March 2001: The Council of Ministers of the European Union accepted the Accession Partnership Document, for Turkey.
March 2001: Turkish Parliament accepted the Turkish National Programme for the Adoption of the Acquis.
June 2001: The 40th period meeting of the Turkey-European Union Partnership Council was occured.
June 2001: The 47th meeting of the commision of the Turkey-European Union Joint Parliament Commitee was occured in Brussels.
July 2001: The sub-commitee meeting of the Turkey-European Union Customs, Taxation, Drugs and Money Laundring was occured in Ankara.
September 2001: The EU Parliament accepted the rapport related to Cyprus preparated by Jacque Paas. In this report, the responsible actor for the failure of finding solution was displayed as Turkey and it was declared that the membership of Cyprus would occure even if a solution could not be found.
November 2001: The 4th Progress report was published.
November 2001: The 48th meeting of the Turkey-EU Joint Parliament Commission was made in İstanbul.
December 2001: The European Council was met in Leaken of Belgium. At the end of the summit, it was declared that Turkey had approached to the participation negotiations and Turkey would participate in the convention studies related to the future of the European Union.
2002
January 2002: The Euro (€) became the joint currency of the European Union.
January 2002: The 10th meeting of Turkey-EU Troika was occured in Madrid.
January 2002: The 110th Turkey-EU Association Commitee meeting was occured in Brussels.
February 2002: The visit to Turkey of Günter Verheugen who is responsible of enlargement of the Commision of the European Union was occured.
February 2002: The Memorandum of Understanding on the management of the financial aid of the EU was signed between the Commision of the EU and the Turkish Government. The structure, functioning and responsabilities of the National Fund and Central Finance and Contracts Unit were determined.
February 2002:The first Reform Package (Turkish Penalty Code, struggle against terror, changes on State Security Court ) came into force in order to provide cohesion to the Copenhagen Political Criteria.
March 2002: The Organization of the Twelve Mediterranean Countries of private sector signed the decision of establishment of Union Mediterranean Confederation of Enterprises during the 5th summit of the European-Mediterranean Private Sector, in İstanbul.
March 2002: Turkey participated in the session of the summit of Spring in Barcelona which included the titles of the liberalization of markets of energy and finance, the rise of employment, the creation of flexible labor force market, the connection of transportation networks in the Europe, the poblems of economy and external affairs as in the Middle East, with the other candidate countries.
March 2002: The joint meeting of the ministers of agriculture was occured among the member and candidate countries of the EU.
March 2002: The second European-Mediterranean Trade Conference was met in Toledo.
March 2002: The Convention concerninig the future of the EU made its second meeting.
April 2002: The second Turkey-EU Association Council was met in Luxemburg.
April 2002: The 5th meeting of the European-Mediterrranean Process was made in Valencia.
May 2002: The Convention concerninig the future of the EU made its third meeting.
June 2002: The meeting on the EU with the presidency of Sezer and with the participance of the presidents of the political parties having group in the Turkish Parliament was made in the House of Çankaya.
June 2002: The 49th meeting of the Turkey-EU Joint Parliament Commission was made in Brussels.
June 2002: In the summit of Sevilla, the presidents of governments and states emphasized that the reforms Turkey had realized was satisfying. The leaders reminded that the reforms in force would strengthen the Turkey’s perspective of membership.
June 2002: The framework agreement on the determination of the general principles of the participation to the Community programmes signed between Turkey and the EU came into power after published in the official journal of the 28th June 2002.
July 2002: Denmark became the presidency of the EU.
July 2002: An agreement of credit of 40 million € for the municipal water and canalization infrastructure programme was signed between the Turkish Treasury and the European Investment Bank.
July 2002: The 13rd meeting of the Turkey-EU Joint Consultative Commitee was made in Erzurum.
July 2002: The 6th Reform Package for the cohesion to the Copenhagen Political Criteria.
August 2002: The third Reform Package came into force.
August 2002: The third Reform Package concerning the abolition of death penalty, the authorization of broadcast of different native languages and dialects including Kurdish, the right to education in own native language, the right of having immovable for the clubs of minority, the right of saving over their own immovable came into force.
September 2002: Turkey was included to the Eurocorps.
October 2002: The European Council published a Progress Report concerning the 13 candidates. Some suggestions were given to the candidates and the commision declared that the constitutional reforms made by Turkey were successful steps towards the transposition with the European Union.
December 2002: At the end of the summit of Copenhagen European Council, the decision for the membership of the 10 candidate countries was given. In the part of the Solution Declaration concerning Turkey, it was said that the negatiation process of Turkey would begin in order to fulfill the Copenhagen Political Criteria until the summit of December 2004.
2003
January 2003: The presidency of Greece began.
January 2003: The 4th and 5th Reform Packages came into force.
January 2003: The EU Troika visited Turkey.
Febuary 2003: The Treaty of Nice which allowed the biggest enlargement and regulated necessary institutional structuring came into force.
March 2003:The 111st meeting of the Turkey-EC Association Commitee was occured in Brussels
April 2003: Two agreements of credit of 350 million € was signed between the Turkish Republic and the European Investigation Bank.
April 2003: The 15th meeting of the EU-Turkey Joint Consultative Commitee was occured in İstanbul.
April 2003: The 42nd meeting of the Turkey-EU Association Council was made in Luxemburg. During the meeting, the side of the EU presented to Turkey the Accession Partnership Document.
April 2003: A new European Union Commision was established in the Turkish Parliament in order to negotiate and observe the cohesion of the new rules to the EU legislation.
May 2003: In the meeting of the European Parliament External Relations Commitee, the outline report preparated by the Dutch Parliamantarian Arie Oostlander was accepted after made important changes on.
May 2003: The Council of the EU took decision about the revised Accession Partnership for Turkey.
June 2003: The 50th meeting of the EU-Turkey Joint Parliament Commission took place in İstanbul.
June 2003:The 49th meeting of the EU-Turkey Joint Parliament Commission took place in Brussels.
June 2003: The 50th meeting of the EU-Turkey Joint Parliament Commission took place in İstanbul.
July 2003: The summit of the European Council was made in Tessaloniki. The candidate countries participated in as an observer. Turkey was represented by the Prime Minister, Recep Tayip Erdoğan, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Abdullah Gül.
July 2003: The 6th Reform Package came into force according to the Copenhagen Criteria.
July 2003: The National Programme for the Adoption of the Acquis by the ligth of the uptaded 2003 Accession Partnership Document, came into force.
August 2003: The 7th Reform Package came into force according to the Copenhagen Criteria.
August 2003: The Third Pre-Accession Economy Programme concerning the years of 2003 -2006 prepared by Turkey was presented to the European Commission.
October 2003: The non-Central Financial Structuring was accepted and Turkey had the right to conduct the EU Financial Aids.
October 2003: The 14th meeting of the Association Commitee of the Custom Union was made in Brussels.
November 2003: The European Commission published the Turkey’s 2003 Progress Report and the Strategy Report.
December 2003: The 51th meeting of the EU-Turkey Joint Parliament Commission took place in Brussels.
December 2003: The EU summit took place in Brussels. The Council declared that Turkey had made progress to begin to the membership negotiations.
December 2003: The meeting of Joint Monitoring Commitee in which the projects financed within the framework of financial cooperation between Turkey and the EU were discussed, took place in the Secretariat General for the EU Affairs. In the results of the Turkey’s first meeting as a candidate, the Turkish progress in using financial aids was perceived.
December 2003: The Preliminary Development Plan (2004-2006) conducted by the State Planing Organization was accepted.
2004
January 2004: The 13th protocol of the European Human Rights Convention which makes obligatory the abolition of the Death Penalty was signed by Turkey in Strasbourg.
Febuary 2004: Turkey-Greece Cross-Border Cooperation Programme was affirmed within the context of Interreg III/A.
February 2004: The two sides according on debating within the framework of the Annan Plan began to the negotiations in Cyprus.
March 2004: The strategic framework of the Turkey-Bulgaria Cross-Border Cooperation Programme was completed.
April 2004: The Arie Oostlander’s report concerning Turkey was accepted in the European Parliament.
April 2004: The Memorandum of Understanding on Turkey’s participation to the EU Education and Youth Programmes was signed between Turkey and the European Commission.
April 2004: The referandum was completed in Cyprus. The 69,4 % of Turkish people in Cyprus accepted but the 75,83 % of Greek people in Cyprus refused the Annan Plan.
April 2004: The Cyprus Regulation was accepted by the Council of the European Union. With the regulation, some measures about the current situation and especially about the circulation of goods was adopted after the failure of the referandum.
April 2004: The 52nd meeting of the Joint Parliament Commission was occured in İzmir.
May 2004: The Constitutional Reform Package was accepted in the Turkish Parliament.
June 2004: The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe finished its audit process.
July 2004: The Netherlands became the presidency of the EU.
July 2004: The European Commission announced extensive proposals to bring the Turkish Cypriot Turkish Community’s isolation.
October 2004: The European Commision published the 2004 Progress Report and the Recommendation Document according to the progress report. Within the framework of this document, Turkey was said to have fulfilled the political criteria in required measure and was recommended to begin to the negotiations.
November 2004: Joint Parliamentary Commitee Delegation's participated in the 18th meeting of Turkey-EU Joint Consultative Committee.
December 2004: The Report for Turkey prepared by the MEP Camiel Eurling was accepted in the meeting of the European Parliament which took place in Strasbourg. The resolution was adopted by 407 votes in favor, 262 against and 29 abstentions.
December 2004: In the summit meeting made by the European Council in Brussels, the resolution was saying that Turkey had made impressive progress in respecting the political criteria, enough for negotiations on EU membership to start on the 3rd October 2004.
2005
January 2005:Luxemburg became the presidency of the EU.
March 2005: The EU-Turkey Troika Meeting was made in Ankara. In the meeting, the relations between the EU and Turkey and the cohesion to the political criteria as a priority subject were reviewed.
June 2005: With the New Turkish Penalty Code which brought fundamental chances, a new important progress according to the cohesion was made.
June 2005: The Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the EU meeting in Luxemburg signed the protocol expanding the Treaty of Ankara concerning the Greek Cyprus.
June 2005: The heads of governments and states of the EU emphasized on the full application of the decisions refering the decisions of the priority summit and there were no direct statement about Turkey in the final report.
June 2005: The European Commission presented the Accession Negotiations Framework. In the framework, a list including the principles regulating negotiations, the content of negotiations, negotiation procedures, negotiation headings took place.
July 2005: The UK became the presidency of the EU.
July 2005: The Council of Foreign Ministers of the EU was met in Brussels. The member of commission, Olli Rehn, who is responsible fort he enlargement, presented the recommendation of Commission which draws the framework related to the Turkey’s membership negotiations, to the Council. However, the discussion of the framework postponed to the unofficial meeting of the General Affairs and External Relations Council which would take place on the 1st and 2nd September as Turkey had not signed yet the protocol which would extend the Additional Protocol with a new ten members.
July 2005: Turkey signed the suplementary protocol which extended the Treaty of Ankara, which was signed in 1963 and which constitutes the base of the EU-Turkey relations, concerning the new ten members. Turkey declared that the usage of the concept of “Rebuplic of Cyprus” did not express the recognition of
the Greek Part of Cyprus.
September 2005: The EU’ declaration said that Turkey must recognise Cyprus in the course of its membership talks, must give access to its ports and airports to Cypriot ships and planes, must apply the protocol fully to all member states. Also the EU warned that if it fails to do so, its progress in the accession talks may stall.
October 2005: Shortly after the EU Accession Negotiations have been launched, Screening Process which is expected to be finalised within a years time is started with a meeting on the 25th Chapter named "Science and Research" on 20 October 2005.
October 2005: Explanatory Screening Meeting on the 26th Chapter named "Education and Culture" was held in Brussels on 26 October 2005.
October 2005: Explanatory Screening Meeeting on the 5th Chapter named "Public Procurement" was held in Brussels on 7 November 2005.
October 2005: The Council approved a framework for negotiations with Turkey on its accession to the EU, as mandated by the European Council last December, thus enabling the negotiations to begin immediately after the meeting.
October 2005: Nikolaus van der Pas, Director General of the Directorate General for "Education and Culture" and His Excellency, Oguz Demilralp, Turkish Ambassador to the European Union, signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Turkey's participation in the Culture 2000 programme from 2006 onwards on 25 October 2005.
November 2005: Explanatory Screening Meeeting on the 5th Chapter named "Public Procurement" was held in Brussels on 7 November 2005.
November 2005: Explanatory Screening Meeeting on the 8th Chapter named "Competition Policy" was held in Brussels on 8-9 November 2005.
November 2005: Detailed Screening Meeting on the 25th Chapter named "Science and Research" was held on 14 November 2005 in Brussels.
November 2005: Detailed Screening Meeeting on the 26th Chapter named "Education and Culture" was held on 16 November 2005 in Brussels.
November 2005: Explanatory Screening Meeting on 3th Chapter named "Right of Establishment and Freedom to Provide Services" was held on 21-22 November 2005 in Brussels.
November 2005:Explanatory Screening Meeting on 4th Chapter named "Free Movement of Capital" was held on 25 November 2005 in Brussels.
November 2005: Detailed Screening Meeeting on the 5th Chapter named "Public Procurement" was held on 28 November 2005 in Brussels.
December 2005: Detailed Screening Meeeting on the 8th Chapter named "Competition Policy" was held on 01-02 December 2005 in Brussels.
December 2005: Explanatory Screening Meeting on 11th Chapter named "Agriculture and Rural Development" was held on 05-08 December 2005 in Brussels.
December 2005: Detailed Screening Meeeting on the 3th Chapter named "Right of Establishment and Freedom to Provide Services" was held on 19-20 December 2005 in Brussels.
December 2005: Detailed Screening Meeeting on the 4th Chapter named "Free Movement of Capital" was held on 22 December 2005 in Brussels.
December 2005: DG Enlargement of the European Commission published the 2005 Regular Report for Turkey.
December 2005: Proposal for a Council Decision on the principles, priorities and conditions contained in the Accession Partnership with Turkey is issued by European Commission.
December 2005: EU Accession Seminars held in Ankara on 12 December 2005 and in Istanbul on 14 December 2005 by Delegation of the European Commission to Turkey.
2006
January 2006: Austria holds the Presidency of the EU for the first half of the year 2006.
January 2006: Explanatory Screening Meeting on 1st Chapter named "Free Movement of Goods" was held on 16-20 January 2006 in Brussels.
January 2006: The Council of the European Union adopted a Decision on the principles, priorities and conditions contained in the accession partnership with Turkey on 17 January 2006 with No.15671/05.
January 2006: Explanatory Screening Meeting on 24th Chapter named "Justice, Freedom and Security" was held on 23-25 January 2006 in Brussels.
January 2006: Detailed Screening Meeeting on the 11th Chapter named "Agriculture and Rural Development" was held on 23-26 January 2006 in Brussels.
