Turkey Economic Reform & Accession to the EU

After pursuing inward oriented development strategies for fifty years Turkey switched over to outward oriented policies in 1980. The policy of further opening up the economy was pursued with the aim of integrating into the EU. On March 6, 1995 it was agreed at the Association Council meeting in Brussels that a customs union would be created between Turkey and the EU starting January 1, 1996. Seven years have passed since then. What requirements must Turkey - the largest country among the candidate and accession countries - meet to join the European Union? And how far along is it towards meeting them? This timely volume analyzes the economic aspects of Turkish accession, emphasizing problems related to joining the single market, adopting the Acquis Communautaire, and meeting the Maastricht criteria for fiscal, monetary, and exchange rate policy. With contributions from leading scholars and policymakers, Turkey: Towards EU Accession provides an insightful assessment of the country's national program, the progress that has been made to date, and the likely consequences of Turkey's implementing the full body of EU requirements.