Accession of Turkey to the European Union

Turkey formally applied to join the European Community—the organisation that has since developed into the European Union—on April 14, 1987. It was officially recognised as a candidate for membership on December 10, 1999 at the Helsinki summit of the European Council, having been an Associate Member since 1963. It started negotiations on October 3, 2005, a process that is likely to take at least a decade to complete. Its possible future accession is now the central controversy of the ongoing enlargement of the European Union.

Related Topics:
Turkey - European Community - European Union - April 14 - 1987 - December 10 - 1999 - Helsinki - European Council - 1963 - October 3 - 2005 - Enlargement of the European Union

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~