Conversation so far:
when did turkey become a candidate for the eu
Turkey signed a Customs Union agreement with the EU in 1995 and was officially recognised as a candidate for full membership on 12 December 1999.
what happened after the 1995 turkey eu customs union agreement
In 1996 a free trade area was established between Turkey and the European Union for products covered by the European Coal and Steel Community.

Question: what is the main point of the union
Self-contained rewrite: what is the main point of the 1995 turkey eu custom union