| EFTA
ISRAEL
HUNGARY(*)
ROMANIA
CZECH REP.(*)
SLOVAK REP.(*)
LATVIA(*)
LITHUANIA(*)
ESTONIA(*)
SLOVENIA(*)
BULGARIA
POLAND(*)
MACEDONIA
CROATIA
BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA
MOROCCO (new)
PALESTINE (new)
SYRIA (new)
TUNISIA (new)
EGYPT (new)
(*) These countries became full members of the EU as of 1st May 2004
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Under the Customs Union (CU), Turkey is applying the same common commercial policy measures with the European Union. Together with the Common Customs Tariff, the preferential trade regime constitutes the most important part of the trade policy applied towards third countries. Article 16 of the Turkey – EU Association Council Decision No. 1/95 dated 6 March 1995 and its Annex 10 set the rules and modalities of the alignment, where it is provided that Turkey will take the necessary measures and negotiate agreements on a mutually advantageous basis with the countries concerned.
Taking into account its responsibilities stemming from the CU and its commercial priorities, Turkey concluded 19 preferential trade agreements until today. Currently, only 9 of these preferential agreements are in force: EFTA, Israel, Bulgaria, Romania, Macedonia, Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina Palestine and Tunisia (*).
The Free Trade Agreement between Turkey and the EFTA States, which entered into force in April 1992, was the first step on the way to the adoption of the preferential regimes of the EU even before the entry into force of the CU. During the period between 1996 – 2000, priority was given to the countries in Europe that were not then the members of the EU. FTAs were signed with Lithuania, Hungary, Estonia, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Slovenia and Latvia. When they became member of the EU in May 2004, the FTAs with these countries ceased to apply. The FTAs signed with Israel, Romania and Bulgaria entered into force in May 1997, February 1998 and January 1999 respectively.
Balkans was another priority area for Turkey. FTA with Macedonia entered into force in September 2000. It was followed by the entry into force of FTAs with Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina in July 2003. With the impetus of the Barcelona Process, the Mediterranean Basin gained importance in Turkey’s priority list. In 2004 FTAs was signed with Tunisia and Palestine. The Association Agreements establishing Free Trade Areas with Tunisia and Syria were concluded in the same year. Preferential Agreements signed with Palestine and Tunisia are in force as of 1 June 2005 and 1 July 2005 respectively.
Turkey continues to negotiate FTAs with Jordan, Lebanon, Faeroe Islands, Albania, South Africa and Mexico.
* as of 1 July 2005.
Last update: January 8, 2007
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