Turkey's global strategy: Turkey and the European Union

Turkey has enjoyed challenging and intricate relations with the European Union (EU) for over half a century. Offi cial ties began in 1963 when Turkey and the then-European Economic Community concluded an Association Agreement that ushered in freer trade and closer political cooperation. Bilateral ties leapt forward with the establishment of a customs union in 1996. Nineteen years later, the EU launched accession negotiations with Turkey in October 2005.