Directorate for EU Affairs

Directorate for EU Affairs, serving as the leading institution at the forefront of steering the accession process is responsible for monitoring and coordinating the collective efforts of Türkiye towards the membership of the European Union (EU) and ensuring the coordination of post-accession work.

With the official approval of Türkiye’s EU candidacy in Helsinki European Council of 10-11 December 1999, there was a need for more systematic and structured pattern that would bring the relevant parties involved in the management of Türkiye’s EU process, together under one single roof. In this respect the Secretariat General for European Union Affairs (EUSG) was established in affiliation with the Prime Ministry with the Law No. 4587 dated 4 July 2000, on the Organization and Duties of the Secretariat General for European Union Affairs. Primary responsibility of the EUSG was to ensure that internal coordination and harmonization in the preparations and works are executed by public institutions and organizations within the scope of the EU process in accordance with the relevant strategies, policies and annual programs. With its establishment, the EUSG played a leading role in the preparation and implementation of essential reforms to initiate the accession negotiations.

Following the decision on the opening of the accession negotiations with Türkiye at the EU Summit held on 17 December 2004, diplomatic traffic between Brussels and Ankara intensified, necessitating the establishment of a competent authority. For this reason, the first Chief Negotiator was appointed by the Prime Ministry Circular No. 2005/15 of 3 June 2005.

With the official opening of the Türkiye’s EU accession negotiations on 3 October 2005, the EUSG worked for the coordination and completion of the screening process for the alignment of all national legislation with the EU legislation. This included fulfilling the opening benchmarks of the chapters to be opened based on the results of the screening process, leading to the preparation of negotiation position papers.

Türkiye-EU relations, which gained momentum and a more demanding work schedule brought with it, generated the need for strengthening the institutional capacity of the EUSG. Consequently, the State Minister for EU Affairs and Chief Negotiator exclusively responsible for the EUSG was appointed on 9 January 2009. Work to enact a new law were intensified to empower the administrative structure and the Law No. 5916 on the Organization and Duties of the EUSG entered into force on 9 July 2009. Subsequently, new service units were established and staff with the required number and qualifications were employed. Finally, the Council of Ministers decided to establish representation abroad, effectuating this within the Permanent Delegation of Türkiye to the EU in Brussels in October 2010.

In order to execute the work connected with the EU accession process exclusively through a ministerial structure, the Ministry for European Union Affairs was established with the Decree Law No. 634 of 8 June 2011.

Following the transition to the Presidential Government System in 2018, the Ministry for European Union Affairs was restructured as the “Directorate for EU Affairs” under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.