turkey became part of european union in 1987.
when did turkey became part of european union?
1987
in line with its traditional western orientation, relations with europe have always been a central part of turkish foreign policy. turkey became one of the first members of the council of europe in 1949, applied for associate membership of the eec (predecessor of the european union) in 1959 and became an associate member in 1963. after decades of political negotiations, turkey applied for full membership of the eec in 1987, became an associate member of the western european union in 1992, joined the eu customs union in 1995 and has been in formal accession negotiations with the eu since 2005. today, eu membership is considered as a state policy and a strategic target by turkey. turkey's support for northern cyprus in the cyprus dispute complicates turkey's relations with the eu and remains a major stumbling block to the country's eu accession bid.
turkey
foreign relations of the republic of turkey are the turkish government's policies in its external relations with the international community. historically, the ottoman empire and later turkey balanced regional and global powers off against one another, forming alliances that best protected the interests of the incumbent regime. the soviet union played a major role in supplying weapons to and financing mustafa kemal atatürk's faction during the turkish war of independence but turkey's relative international isolation during the period of atatürk's reforms in 1920s and 1930s was followed by closer relations with western powers after turkey became a founding member of the united nations in 1945, a recipeiant of marshall plan aid and a member of north atlantic treaty organization in 1952. european union–turkey relations warmed during the cold war period and the post-cold war period has seen a diversification of relations, with turkey, at various moments, seeking to strengthen its regional presence in the balkans, the middle east and the caucasus, as well as taking steps toward eu membership. under the akp government (2003-), turkey's economy has grown rapidly and the country's influence has grown in the middle east based on a strategic depth doctrine, also called neo-ottomanism. debate on turkey's foreign relations is controversial both within turkey itself and outside the country. in the west, there is a divide between those who are worried about turkey's perceived movement away from the west toward a less democratic, more "islamic" or more pro-russian orientation and those who do not see turkey's changing political structure, growing regional power and relations with russia as a threat.
foreign relations of turkey