| 1959: | Turkey applies to join the European Economic Community.
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| 1963: | Turkey signs Association Agreement with European Economic Community which envisages a Customs Union.
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| 1987: | Turkey applies to join the EU.
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| 1989: | European Commission Opinion on Turkey's EU application recommends further political and economic reform in Turkey before opening accession negotiations.
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| 1993: | EU agrees "Copenhagen Criteria" for accession of new members.
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| Jan 1996: | Customs Union between Turkey and EU covering trade in industrial and processed agricultural goods, but not iron or steel.
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| Dec 1997: | Luxembourg European Council reconfirms Turkey's eligibility for EU membership and calls for a European Strategy to bring Turkey closer to the EU.
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| June 1998: | The Cardiff European Council endorses the European Strategy for Turkey proposed by the European Commission in March 1998.
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| Dec 1999: | Helsinki European Council confirms Turkey is a candidate to join the EU on the basis of the same criteria applied to all other applicants. It agrees a pre-accession strategy to include an accession partnership, preparations for screening and enhanced political dialogue.
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| Apr 2000 | First EU/Turkey Association Council meeting for three years.
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| Dec 2000 | General Affairs Council agrees the text of the Turkish Accession Partnership.
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| Mar 2001 | EU formally agrees text of the Turkish Accession Partnership.
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| Mar 2001 | Turkey publishes National Programme for the Adoption of the Acquis.
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| June 2001 | Gothenburg European Council welcomes Turkey's NPAA.
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| Oct 2001 | Turkey amends its constitution, bringing it closer to meeting the Copenhagen political criteria.
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| Dec 2001 | Laeken European Council marks Turkish progress towards meeting the political criteria through its constitutional changes and states "this has brought forward the prospect of the opening of accession negotiations with Turkey.
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