EU-Turkey relations
Relations between Turkey and European Union are generally good. Turkey is one of the European Union's main partners in the Middle East. Turkey is the main partner for the EU (short for European Union) in tackling the current European migrant crisis. On March 2016, they signed an agreement on the refugee crisis. Turkey currently is in talks with EU about Turkey joining the European Union. If they succeed, then Turkey would be the first country with predominantly Muslim population to join the EU. Out of 35 chapters necessary to complete the accession process, 16 have been opened and 1 has been closed. According to survey of Turkish citizens carried out by Eurobarometer in 2015, where participants were asked whether Turkey's EU membership would be "a good thing", a "bad thing" or "neither good nor bad" thing, 40 percent of participants answered "bad" and 33 percent answered "good", with the rest choosing "neither good nor bad" or N/A. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the current president of Turkey, supports the country's accession into European Union.
Key milestones
1963 Association agreement is signed between Turkey and EU.
1987 Turkey submits application for full membership on 14 April.
1993 The EU and Turkey Customs Union negotiations start.
1996 The Customs Union between Turkey and the EU takes effect on 1 January.
1999 At the Helsinki Summit in December, the European Council gives Turkey the status of candidate country for EU membership, following the Commission’s recommendation in its second Regular Report on Turkey.
2001 The European Council adopts the EU-Turkey Accession Partnership on 8 March, providing a road map for Turkey’s EU accession process. On 19 March, the Turkish Government adopts the NPAA, the National Programme for the Adoption of the Acquis (acquis means EU law), reflecting the Accession Partnership.
2001 At the Copenhagen Summit, in September, the European Council decides to increase significantly EU financial support through what is now called "pre-accession instrument" (IPA).
2004 On 17 December, the European Council decides to open membership talks with Turkey.
2005 Accession Negotiations open on 3 October.
2007 In November the European Commission presented to the European Council the Regular Report concerning Turkey's accession negotiations.
2008 The European Commission published in November its yearly progress report on Turkey’s preparation for EU accession.
History
Turkey was one of the first countries, in 1959, to seek close cooperation with the young European Economic Community (EEC).
This cooperation was realized in the framework of an “association agreement”, known as the Ankara Agreement, which was signed on 12 September 1963. An important element in this plan was establishing a “Customs Union” so that Turkey could trade goods and agricultural products with EEC countries without restrictions.
The main aim of the Ankara agreement was to achieve “continuous improvement in living conditions in Turkey and in the European Economic Community through accelerated economic progress and the harmonious expansion of trade, and to reduce the disparity between the Turkish economy and … the Community”.
Accession Negotiations
Enlargement is one of the EU's most powerful policy tools. It is a carefully managed process which helps the transformation of the countries involved, extending peace, stability, prosperity, democracy, human rights and the rule of law across Europe.The European Union enlargement process took a major step forward on 3 October 2005 when accession negotiations were opened with Turkey and Croatia. After years of preparation the two candidates formally opened the next stage of the accession process. The negotiations relate to the adoption and implementation of the EU body of law, known as the acquis. The acquis is approximately 130,000 pages of legal documents grouped into 35 chapters and forms the rules by which Member States of the EU should adhere. As a candidate country, Turkey needs to adapt a considerable part of its national legislation in line with EU law. This means fundamental changes for society that will affect almost all sectors of the country, from the environment to the judiciary, from transport to agriculture, and across all sections of the population. However, the candidate country does not 'negotiate' on the acquis communautaire itself as these 'rules' must be fully adopted by the candidate country. The negotiation aspect is on the conditions for harmonization and implementation of the acquis, that is, how the rules are going to be applied and when. It is for this reason that accession negotiations are not considered to be negotiations in the classical sense. In order to become a Member State, the candidate country must bring its institutions, management capacity and administrative and judicial systems up to EU standards, both at national and regional level. This allows them to implement the acquis effectively upon accession and, where necessary, to be able to implement it effectively in good time before accession. This requires a well-functioning and stable public administration built on an efficient and impartial civil service, and an independent and efficient judicial system.
Institutional Corporation
The association agreement that Turkey has with the EU serves as the basis for implementation of the accession process. Several institutions have been set up to ensure political dialogue and cooperation throughout the membership preparation process.
Association Council
The Council is made up of representatives of the Turkish government, the European Council and the European Commission. It is instrumental in shaping and orienting Turkey-EU relations. Its aim is to implement the association agreement in political, economic and commercial issues. The Association Council meets twice a year at ministerial level. The Council takes decisions unanimously. Turkey and the EU side have one vote each.
Association Comity
The Association Comity brings together experts from EU and Turkey to examine Association related technical issues and to prepare the agenda of the Association Council. The negotiations chapters are discussed in 8 sub-comity's organised as follows:
- Agriculture and Fisheries Committee
- Internal Market and Competition Committee
- Trade, Industry and ECSC Products Committee
- Economic and Monetary Issues Committee
- Innovation Committee
- Transport, Environment and Energy Committee
- Regional Development, Employment and Social Policy Committee
- Customs, Taxation, Drug Trafficking and Money Laundering Committee
Joint Parliamentary Commission
Joint Parliamentary Commission is the control body of the Turkey-EU association. Its task is to analyze the annual activity reports submitted to it by the Association Council and to make recommendations on EU-Turkey Association related issues.
It consists of 18 members selected from the Turkish Grand National Assembly and the European Parliament, who meet twice a year.
Customs Union Joint Comity
The main task of CUJC is to establish a consultative procedure in order to ensure legislative harmony foreseen in the fields directly related to the functioning of the customs union between Turkey and the EU. CUJC makes recommendations to the Association Council. It is foreseen to meet regularly once a month.
Joint Consultative Comity
Joint Consultative Committee (JCC) was formed on 16 November 1995 in accordance with the Article 25 of the Ankara Agreement. The Comity aims to promote dialogue and cooperation between the economic and social interest groups in the European Community and Turkey and to facilitate the institutionalization of the partners of that dialogue in Turkey. Joint Consultative Comity has a mixed, cooperative and a two-winged structure: EU and Turkey wings. It has 36 members in total, composed of 18 Turkish and 18 EU representatives and it has two elected co-chairmen, one from the Turkish side and the other from the EU side.
EU Related Administrative Bodies in Turkish Administration
Secretariat General for European Union Affairs was established in July 2000 to ensure internal coordination and harmony in the preparation of Turkey for EU membership.
Under secretariat of Foreign Trade EU Executive Board was established to ensure the direction, follow-up and final of work carried out within the scope of the Customs Union and the aim of integration.
EU-Turkey Deal on Migrant Crisis
On 20 March 2016, EU-Turkey deal to tackle the migrant crisis has formally come into effect. Under the deal, migrants arriving in Greece are now expected to be sent back to Turkey if they do not apply for asylum or their claim is rejected. The influx of people crossing to Greek islands grew ahead of the deadline, and Greece said it would not be able to implement the deal immediately.The deal says that for every Syrian migrant sent back to Turkey, one Syrian already in Turkey will be resettled in the EU. However, there were still many doubts about the implementation of the agreement, including how the migrants would be sent back. Some 2,300 experts, including security and migration officials and translators, are set to arrive in Greece to help enforce the deal. "A plan like this cannot be put in place in only 24 hours," said government migration spokesman Giorgos Kyritsis, quoted by AFP. With the deal, it is hoped people will be discouraged from making the dangerous journey by sea from Turkey to Greece. In return, Turkey will receive aid and political concessions.
Key points from the agreement
- Turkey EU membership: Both sides agreed to "re-energize" Turkey's bid to join the European bloc, with talks due by July.
- Financial aid: The EU is to speed up the allocation of €3bn ($3.3 bn; £2.3 bn) in aid to Turkey to help migrants.
- Visa restrictions: Turkish nationals should have access to the Schengen passport-free zone by June. This will not apply to non-Schengen countries like Britain.
- One-for-one: For each Syrian returned to Turkey, a Syrian migrant will be resettled in the EU. Priority will be given to those who have not tried to illegally enter the EU and the number is capped at 72,000.
- Returns: All "irregular migrants" crossing from Turkey into Greece from 20 March will be sent back. Each arrival will be individually assessed by the Greek authorities.
Criticism
Critics have said the deal could force migrants determined to reach Europe to start using other and potentially more dangerous routes, such as the journey between North Africa and Italy. Human rights groups have strong criticism about the deal, with Amnesty International accusing the EU of turning "its back on a global refugee crisis".On Saturday, thousands of people protested in support of refugees and against racism. Rallies were held in London, Athens, Barcelona, Amsterdam, Geneva and some other cities. In the Greek capital, protesters, including some Afghan refugees, chanted "Open the borders" and "We are human beings, we have rights". In London, about 4,000 people joined a protest carrying placards with slogans like "Refugees welcome here" and "Stand up to racism".