Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighbourhood Policy visits Turkey
Štefan Füle, European Commissioner for Enlargement and Neighbourhood Policy, will pay his first visit to Turkey on 15-16 March 2010. Prior to his visit, Commissioner Füle stated: "I am confident that at the end of the process it will be a new, modern and reformed Turkey whose accession to the EU will be to the benefit of both the EU and Turkey".
During his visit, the Commissioner will meet with Prime Minister H.E. Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdogan, H.E. Mr. Ahmet Davutoglu, Minister of Foreign Affairs and H.E. Mr. Egemen Bagis, Minister of State for EU Affairs and Chief Negotiator. He will also meet with representatives of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, business circles and civil society organisations.
Background
An Association Agreement with Turkey was signed in 1963, already mentioning the prospect of Turkey's accession, and a number of decisions of the European Council as well as resolutions of Parliament made clear that Turkey can become a member of the European Union should all the requirements be met.
Since 1999 Turkey candidate country status was granted by Helsinki European Council.
Accession negotiations started in October 2005 - on the basis of a Negotiating Framework which sets accession as a "shared objective''.