The agreement aimed to ensure the free movement of workers, branches and services, including almost complete harmonisation with EU policies related to the internal market. However, it excluded Turkey from any political position and ruled out an appeal to the European Court of Justice for dispute resolution to some extent. [5] Under the European Community Association Agreement (ECAA), Turkish citizens can apply for entry or stay in the UK to establish themselves in a commercial activity. The aforementioned ECAA agreement with Turkey, also known as the Ankara Agreement, was signed on 12 September 1963. The Ankara Agreement (an association between the Republic of Turkey and the European Economic Community) is an agreement designed to pave the way for Turkey`s accession to the European Economic Community. The association agreement with Turkey provides rights for Turkish nationals and obliges the Ministry of the Interior to apply old and more generous rules to them. The UK Home Office`s original practice of interpreting the agreement so that it applies only to those already in the UK was amended in 2009 to open a route for Turkish nationals to apply for a visa to the Uk, in accordance with the terms of the contract. The Ankara agreement is not extended to Turkish nationals who have entered the UK illegally. Turkey first applied for membership of the European Economic Community (EEC) in July 1959, with the EEC established in 1958.
The EEC responded by proposing the establishment of an association as an interim measure leading to full membership. This led to negotiations that culminated in the Ankara Agreement on 12 September 1963. [1] From 6 July, ECAA businessmen and ECAA family members, as well as their family members, will be able to apply for the ILR, with standardised ILO requirements, including the agreement between the European Union and Turkey granting special rights to Turkish nationals. In the past, the EU has entered into association agreements with countries such as Bulgaria, Romania, Poland and other countries that have joined the EU. These have enabled nationals of these countries to work independently in the United Kingdom. Nationals of these countries, including those who arrived in the UK under the old Association Agreements, now have the right to work as independents in the UK because they are members of the European Union. Applicants who are genuinely interested in starting a viable business may be granted a residence permit (or entry permit) for 12 months from the date of the decision. At the end of the 12-month trial period for the company, the applicant may, if successful, apply for another leave to remain in the United Kingdom, which may be considered under the post-travel trade rules in order to continue its activities.
As a general rule, a “reasonable extension of stay” is granted for a period of 3 years, but this is not the end. At the expiry of a four-year residence permit under a Turkish ECAA visa for self-employed workers, applicants can apply for permanent leave to remain in the UK. Subsequently, applicants can apply for naturalization as a British citizen after an additional 12 months. With the European Union replacing the EEC with the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty, the Ankara Agreement now governs relations between Turkey and the EU. [6] [7] This announcement follows the withdrawal of the old ECAA-ILR policy of March 16, 2018, which operated outside the rules. An association council established by the agreement controls its development and gives the agreement a detailed effect through decisions. The agreement creating an association between the Republic of Turkey and the European Economic Community (in Turkish: Ankara Anla-mas) is a treaty signed in 1963, which provides for the framework of cooperation between Turkey and the European Union (EU).