Abstract
Although many people believe the debate regarding the admission of Turkey into the European Union (EU) is recent, it actually dates back to 1959, just two years after the signing of the Rome Treaty, which created the EU (see appendix 1). In July 1959, Turkey asked for an association agreement with the EU (15 days after a similar request by Greece), which was accepted. This agreement, which was mainly
economical in nature, mentioned that eventually, Turkey would join the EU. In 1963, Walter Hallstein, the then president of the European Commission, declared that "Turkey is part of Europe", and that "one day, a final step in order to join the Union.
These included the existence of a market economy, respect for the principles of democracy, including liberty of speech and the absence of gender discrimination.
