Turkey and Europe share a long history of political, economic, and cultural exchange and collaboration. A founding member of the United Nations, Turkey became a member of the Council of Europe in 1949 and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in 1961. Turkey also achieved membership in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in 1952, which represented an important milestone in aligning Turkish and European strategic interests.
Turkey also began the European Union (EU) accession process when it signed an Association Agreement with the EU in 1963, and in December 1999, the European Council granted Turkey official EU candidacy. In an effort to meet the EU membership criteria, Turkey then enacted a number of reforms relating to rule of law, the protection of human rights, and abolition of the death penalty. In order to accede to the EU, Turkey must finalize negotiations on at least 33 of the 35 chapters of the total body of EU law, which include subjects such as taxation, environmental policy, and trade. Since negotiations over the 35 chapters began in 2005, only the chapter on Science & Research has been closed; another twelve chapters are currently open, and the EU Council has blocked eight.
Turkey and the EU are further integrated through a robust economic relationship. The Turkey-EU Customs Union, a trade agreement that allows goods to travel between Turkey and the EU without customs restrictions, has fostered Turkish-European economic cooperation since its establishment in 1995.
TCA has compiled the below resources to provide further information on Turkey and Europe. These lists are for informational purposes only and do not constitute TCA’s endorsement of or association with these sources.
Turkey also began the European Union (EU) accession process when it signed an Association Agreement with the EU in 1963, and in December 1999, the European Council granted Turkey official EU candidacy. In an effort to meet the EU membership criteria, Turkey then enacted a number of reforms relating to rule of law, the protection of human rights, and abolition of the death penalty. In order to accede to the EU, Turkey must finalize negotiations on at least 33 of the 35 chapters of the total body of EU law, which include subjects such as taxation, environmental policy, and trade. Since negotiations over the 35 chapters began in 2005, only the chapter on Science & Research has been closed; another twelve chapters are currently open, and the EU Council has blocked eight.
Turkey and the EU are further integrated through a robust economic relationship. The Turkey-EU Customs Union, a trade agreement that allows goods to travel between Turkey and the EU without customs restrictions, has fostered Turkish-European economic cooperation since its establishment in 1995.
TCA has compiled the below resources to provide further information on Turkey and Europe. These lists are for informational purposes only and do not constitute TCA’s endorsement of or association with these sources.
