Relations with the EU

Turkey–European Union (EU) relations, which began at the official partnership level with the Ankara Agreement signed in 1963, reached the economic partnership dimension with the Customs Union that entered into force as of January 1, 1996, through Decision No. 1/95 of the Turkey–EU Association Council. With this decision, as of 1996, Turkey abolished all existing customs duties and equivalent measures applied to industrial products imported from the EU, and aligned its quantitative restrictions applied to third countries with the EU. In addition, except for sensitive products granted a five-year transition period, it began implementing the Union's Common Customs Tariff against third countries. Within this scope, under the free movement of goods heading, ensuring the free movement of telecommunications devices and terminal equipment and harmonizing the Union's technical legislation in the import and export of these products has become Turkey's obligation.

With the acquisition of candidate status at the 1999 Helsinki Summit, a new era began in relations with the EU, and the adaptation of the Community acquis to domestic law in all areas became an obligation for Turkey. This obligation was scheduled within the framework of the National Programme for the Adoption of the Acquis published in 2001, and subsequently, legislative alignment studies were carried out within the framework of the National Programme revised in 2003.

The assumption, incorporation into domestic law, and implementation of the Community acquis in the field of electronic communications also constitute an important part of these obligations and are included in the National Programme, which carries the nature of a commitment for Turkey.

Within the framework of policy objectives established by the EU, the telecommunications sector has been transformed into a competition-based structure through a gradual and evolutionary process that began with the 1998 regulatory package and continued with the 2002 framework and the 2009 Telecom Reform Package.