Türkiye's involvement with European integration dates back to 1959 and includes the Ankara Association Agreement (1963) for the progressive establishment of a Customs Union (ultimately set up in 1995).

Accession negotiations started in 2005, but until Türkiye agrees to apply the Additional Protocol of the Ankara Association Agreement to Cyprus, eight negotiation chapters will not be opened and no chapter will be provisionally closed.

Under the Lisbon Treaty, entered into force on 1st December 2009, the Delegation of the European Union to Türkiye has four main missions:

• In the external relations field, to report on Türkiye's foreign policy and to represent the European Union at diplomatic level.
• In relations to the Customs Union between Türkiye and the EU, to monitor economic, financial and trade developments in Türkiye, as well as the implementation of the Customs Union's provisions.
• In the framework of the EU accession negotiations, to monitor Türkiye's progress in meeting the requirements of the political criteria and the acquis and to assist the unfolding of the negotiations. In this context, the Delegation reports to Headquarters on a daily basis in view of the Commission's Country Report.
• As a diplomatic mission, the Delegation of the European Union to Türkiye operates under the terms of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations and is managed by a Head of Delegation who is accredited to the President of the Republic of Türkiye with the rank of ambassador.
• The Delegation maintains close contacts and coordinates its work with the embassies of the member states of the EU accredited to Türkiye.
• The Delegation also maintains a wide range of contacts with public authorities, political parties, business circles, academia and think tanks, civil society organisations and cultural operators. In addition, it implements a comprehensive information and communication programme aimed at fostering the visibility and understanding of the European Union, its values and its activities in Türkiye.

Through our website, we aim to provide you with information on the European Union, as well as on Türkiye's accession process to the Union. Since our principal goal is to provide accessible, accurate and up-to-date information to the Turkish public, a large part of the website is in Turkish.

If you have any comments or suggestions on our website, please send them to the address below:

Delegation of the European Union to Türkiye: [email protected]