ABSTRACT
Relations between theEuropeanUnion (EU) andTurkey beganwith the agreement
establishing an association between the European Economic Community (EEC)
and Turkey, the so-called Ankara Agreement. The Ankara Agreement was
signed on 12 September 1963, and came into force on 1 December 1964. The
cornerstone of this agreement was the establishment of a customs union in three
stages. A Financial Protocol accompanied this agreement. The second and third
Financial Protocols were signed in 1970 and 1977, respectively. The Ankara
Agreement also set up an Association Council that met regularly and discussed
the work of the association. This institutional framework was expanded with the
implementation of the final phase of the Customs Union.
