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Despite his criticism, he remains optimistic, saying that he expected to be offered a start date within the next year for talks with the goal of full membership. He said: “In the last days of the Ottoman Empire we were then called the sick man of Europe. Note, of Europe, never the sick man of Asia. You said so yourself.”
THE LONG ROAD TO EUROPE
1952: Turkey joins Nato
1963: Signs association agreement with the European Economic Community
1980-86: Association agreement suspended after a military coup
1987: Formally applies for EU membership
1989: European Commission rejects application because of human rights abuses
1996: Customs union starts, giving Turkey access to the EU single market
1999: EU accepts Turkey as an official candidate
2002: EU leaders set down human rights and political conditions for starting membership talks
October 2004: European Commission recommends formal membership talks
December 17: EU leaders to decide on starting membership talks. If talks are approved, Turkey faces further hurdles: to reform its constitution; to tighten up its eastern borders with Syria, Iraq and Iran; and to upgrade industry to comply with EU standards; the EU must reform its Common Agricultural Policy and regional aid budget to accommodate Turkey
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