brussels german chancellor angela merkel say sunday would seek end turkey membership talk european union timeline significant date turkey eu accession progress 1987 turkey member nato military alliance apply join eu forerunner european economic community 1997 ankara declare eligible start talk strong support britain italy sweden see addition dynamic economy powerful player middle east politics benefit eu france germany austria wary admit turkey concern economic cultural challenge integrate large muslim nation 80 million people eu 2002 turkey abolish death penalty basic condition join european union turkey islamist-rooted ak party win general election vow push eu membership march 2003 tayyip erdogan become prime minister late say turkey much ready part european union family october 2005 formal eu accession negotiations begin 2010 turkey membership bid stall issue include divide island cyprus eu member turkey invade 1974. push cyprus france eu capitals block open new negotiate areas chapters 2013/2014 erdogan purge thousands police hundreds judge prosecutors corruption scandal say engineer political enemies august 2014 erdogan elect post president plan transform largely ceremonial post powerful executive office october 2014 european commission eu executive oversee eu accession talk submit critical annual report yet warn serious doubt judicial independence march 2016 european union turkey agree revive accession talk well negotiations visa-free travel turks bloc part broad accord halt record flow syrian refugees europe return financial aid ankara july 15 2016 faction military try overthrow erdogan prompt international condemnation include european union relations brussels quickly begin sour turkey purge suspect coup plotters huge scale council europe right body turkey member say purge unconstitutional march 2017 erdogan accuse germany fascist action reminiscent nazi time stop hold political rally country seek support among 1.5 million turkish citizens ahead april referendum narrow victory referendum give erdogan sweep new power european union fear cement new system authoritarian rule make eu membership ever distant april 2017 european parliament call formal suspension turkey eu membership bid effectively freeze eu foreign minister hold talk turkey top diplomat mevlut cavusoglu malta say annul turkey decade-long bid eu membership privately however minister raise possibility new loose agreement turkey free trade immigration counter-terrorism european union turkey big foreign investor big trade partner sept. 2017 german chancellor angela merkel say seek end turkey membership talk apparent shift position televise debate weeks german election factbox turkey 's collapse eu membership bid