Turkey's involvement with the European project has a long and chequered history. The country expressed interest in a link with the original six-strong European Economic Community as far back as 1959, the first non-member to do so. In 1963 it signed an association agreement with the eec. Walter Hallstein, a German Christian Democrat who was the first president of the European Commission, hailed this as explicit recognition that "Turkey is a part of Europe." Sadly that view is not shared by many in his party today.
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