WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONWT/REG68/1
24 March 1999
(99-1190)
Committee on Regional Trade Agreements Original:  English
FREE TRADE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE SLOVAK REPUBLIC
AND THE REPUBLIC OF TURKEY
The following text reproduces the Agreement1 between the Republic of Turkey and the
Slovak Republic.
_______________
PREAMBLE
The Republic of Turkey and the Slovak Republic (hereinafter called ”the Parties”),
Reaffirming their commitment to the principles of market economy, which constitutes the
basis for their economic relations, and their compliance with the rights and obligations arising out of
the agreements within the framework of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the General
Agreement on Tariffs and Trade 1994 (GATT 1994);
Considering  their common desire to participate actively in the process of international
economic integration;
Resolved  to this end to eliminate progressively th e obstacles to substantially all their mutual
trade, in accordance with the provisions of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade 1994;
Considering  the rights and the obligations arising out of the Agreement Establishing an
Association between the European Economic Commun ity and the Republic of Turkey, its Additional
Protocol and the Decisions of the EC - Turkey Association Council on implementing the final phase
of the Customs Union and of the Europe Agreement Establishing an Association between the Slovak
Republic, of the one part, and the European Communities and their Member States, of the other part;
Convinced  that this Agreement will create a new climate for their economic relations and, in
particular, for the development of trade, investment and economic and technological co-operation;
Have agreed  as follows:
                                                     
1 The Annexes and Protocols thereto have been submitted to the Secretariat for consultation by
interested Members (Office 3006).WT/REG68/1
Page 2
Article 1
Objectives
1. The Parties shall gradually establish a free trade area on substantially all their bilateral trade
in a transitional period ending on 1 January 2001, in accordance with the provisions of this Agreement
and in conformity with those of the GATT 1994, w ith particular regard to Article XXIV of the
GATT 1994.
2. The objectives of this Agreement are:
(a) to promote, through the expansion of mutual trade, the harmonious development of
economic relations between the Parties and thus to foster in the Parties the advance of
economic activity;
(b) to provide fair conditions of competition for trade between the Parties;
(c) to contribute, by the removal of barriers to trade, to the harmonious development and
expansion of world trade;
(d) to promote co-operation in areas which are of mutual interest to the Parties.
CHAPTER I
Industrial Products
Article 2
Scope
The provisions of this Chapter shall apply to industrial products originating in the Parties,
where the term "industrial products" means for the purpose of this Agreement the products falling
within Chapters 25 to 97 of the Harmonized Comm odity Description and Coding System, with the
exception of the products listed in Annex I to this Agreement.
Article 3
Customs duties on imports and charges having equivalent effect
1. No new customs duty on imports or  charge having equivalent effect shall be introduced in
trade between the Parties.
2. Customs duties on imports shall be abolished in accordance with the provisions of Protocol 1
to this Agreement.
3. The Parties shall abolish between them on the date of entry into force of this Agreement all
charges having equivalent effect to customs duties on imports.WT/REG68/1
Page 3
Article 4
Basic duties
1. For each product the basic duty to which the successive reductions set out in this Agreement
are to be applied shall be the Most Favoured Nation rate of duty in force on 1 January 1996.
2. If, after entry into force of the Agreement, any tariff reduction is applied on an erga omnes
basis, such reduced duties shall replace the basic duties referred to in paragraph 1 as from that date
when such reductions are applied.
3. The reduced duties calculated in accordance with Protocol 1 to this Agreement and in
accordance with paragraph 2 shall be applied rounded to the first decimal place.
4. The Parties shall notify each other of their respective national basic rates of duties in
accordance with the provisions of paragraph 2.
Article 5
Fiscal duties
The provisions of Article 3 shall also apply to customs duties of a fiscal nature.
Article 6
Customs duties on exports and charges having equivalent effect
1. No new customs duty on exports or charge having equivalent effect shall be introduced in
trade between the Parties.
2. The Parties shall abolish between them on the date of entry into force of this Agreement all
customs duties on exports and all charges having equivalent effect.
Article 7
Quantitative restrictions on imports and measures having equivalent effect
1. No new quantitative restriction on imports or measure having equivalent effect shall be
introduced in trade between the Parties.
2. All quantitative restrictions and all measures having equivalent effect on imports of products
originating in the Parties shall be abolished on the da te of entry into force of this Agreement, except
as provided for in Annex II to this Agreement.
Article 8
Quantitative restrictions on exports and measures having equivalent effect
1. No new quantitative restriction on exports or measure having equivalent effect shall be
introduced in trade between the Parties.
2. All quantitative restrictions and all measures having equivalent effect on exports of products
originating in the Parties shall be abolished on the date of the entry into force of this Agreement.WT/REG68/1
Page 4
CHAPTER II
Agricultural Products
Article 9
Scope
The provisions of this Chapter shall apply to ag ricultural products originating in the Parties,
where the term "agricultural products" means for the purpose of this Agreement the products fallingwithin Chapters 1 to 24 of the Harmonized Commod ity Description and Coding System, including the
products listed in Annex I to this Agreement.
Article 10
Exchange of concessions
The Parties shall grant each other the concessions specified in the Annexes to Protocol 2 to
this Agreement as laid down in that Protocol and in accordance with the provisions of this Chapter.
Article 11
Concessions and agricultural policies
1. Without prejudice to the concessions granted pursuant to this Article, the provisions of
paragraph 1 shall not restrict in any way the pursuance of the respective agricultural policies of the
Parties or the taking of any measures under such policies. The Parties shall notify each other as soon
as possible of the changes in their respective agricultural policies which may affect the conditions of
trade in agricultural products between them. In su ch cases, prompt consultations shall be held, upon
request of any Party, to examine the situation.
2. For the purpose of ensuring the proper functioning of the provisions of the Protocol 2 to this
Agreement and the possibilities of granting each other further concessions, the Parties shall hold
consultations regularly on a mutually advantageous and reciprocal basis within the framework of the
Joint Committee.
Article 12
Sanitary and phytosanitary measures
1. The Parties shall apply the sanitary and phytosanitary measures in accordance with the
provisions of the Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures within theWTO.
2. The Parties shall not apply their regulations in veterinary, plant health and health matters as
an arbitrary or unjustifiable discrimination between the Parties or a disguised restriction in the trade
between them.WT/REG68/1
Page 5
CHAPTER III
General Provisions
Article 13
Classification of goods
1. The Slovak Customs Tariff shall be applied to the classification of goods for imports to the
Slovak Republic.
2. The Turkish Customs Tariff shall be applied to the classification of goods for imports to the
Republic of Turkey.
3. Any changes in import tariff classification of goods carried out by the Parties, including by
the creation of new tariff items, shall not negatively affect the schedules of liberalisation and
concessions established in Protocols 1 and 2 to this Agreement.
Article 14
Rules of origin and co-operation in customs administration
1. Protocol 3 to this Agreement lays down the rules of origin and related methods of
administrative co-operation.
2. The Parties shall take appropriate measures, including regular reviews by the Joint Committee
and arrangements for administrative co-operation, to ensure that the provisions of Protocol 3 to thisAgreement and Articles 3 to 8, 15 and 27 of this Agreement are effectively and harmoniously applied,
and to reduce, as far as possible, the formalities imposed on trade, and to achieve mutually
satisfactory solutions to any difficulties arising from the operation of those provisions.
Article 15
Internal taxation
1. The Parties shall refrain from any measure or practice of an internal fiscal nature establishing,
whether directly or indirectly, discrimination between the products of one Party and like products
originating in the other Party.
2. Products exported to the territory of one of the Parties may not benefit from repayment of
internal taxes in excess of the amount of direct or indirect taxes imposed on these products.
Article 16
General exceptions
This Agreement shall not preclude prohibitions or restrictions on imports, exports or goods in
transit justified on grounds of public morality, public policy or public security; of the protection of
health and life of humans, animals or plants, including environmental measures necessary to protecthuman, animal or plant life or health; of the protection of national treasures possessing artistic,
historic or archaeological value; of the protection of intellectual property, or of the rules relating to
gold or silver or to the conservation of exhaustible natural resources. Such prohibitions or restrictionsWT/REG68/1
Page 6
shall not, however, constitute means of arbitrary discrimination or a disguised restriction on trade
between the Parties.
Article 17
Security exceptions
Nothing in this Agreement shall prevent a Party from taking any appropriate measure which it
considers necessary:
(a) to prevent the disclosure of information contrary to its essential security interests;
(b) for the protection of its essential security interests or for the implementation of
international obligations or national policies:
(i) relating to the traffic in arms, ammunition and implements of war, provided
that such measures do not impair the conditions of competition in respect ofproducts not intended for specifically military purposes, and to such traffic in
other goods, materials and services as is carried on directly or indirectly for
the purpose of supplying a military establishment; or
(ii) relating to the non-proliferation of biological and chemical weapons, nuclear
weapons or other nuclear explosive devices; or
(iii) taken in time of war or other serious international tension.
Article 18
State monopolies
1. The Parties shall ensure that any state monopoly of a commercial character be adjusted so that
by 1 July 1999 no discrimination regarding the conditions under which goods are procured and
marketed exists between nationals of the Parties.
2. The provisions of this Article shall apply to any body through which the competent
authorities of the Parties, in law or in fact, either directly or indirectly supervise, determine or
appreciably influence imports or exports between the Parties or sales on the domestic markets.  These
provisions shall likewise apply to monopolies delegated by the state to other bodies.
Article 19
Payments
1. Payments in freely convertible currencies relating to commercial transactions within the
framework of this Agreement between the Parties and the transfer of such payments to the territory of
the Party where the creditor resides shall be free from any restrictions.
2. The Parties shall refrain from any exchange or administrative restrictions on the grant,
repayment or acceptance of short and medium term credits covering commercial transactions withinthe framework of this Agreement in which their resident participates.WT/REG68/1
Page 7
3. Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph 2, any measure concerning current payments
connected with the movement of goods shall be in  conformity with the co nditions laid down under
Article VIII of the Articles of Agreement of the International Monetary Fund.
Article 20
Rules of competition concerning undertakings
1. The following are incompatible with the proper functioning of this Agreement insofar as they
may affect trade between the Parties:
(a) all agreements between undertakings, decisions by associations of undertakings and
concerted practices between undertakings which have as their object or effect the
prevention, restriction or distortion of competition;
(b) abuse by one or more undertakings of a dominant position in the territories of the
Parties as a whole or in a substantial part thereof.
2. The provisions of paragraph 1 shall apply to the activities of all undertakings including public
undertakings and undertakings to which the Parties grant special or exclusive rights.
Undertakings entrusted with the operation of services of general economic interest or having
the character of a revenue-producing monopoly, shall be subject to provisions of paragraph 1 in so far
as the application of these provisions does not obstruct the performance, in law or fact, of the
particular public tasks assigned to them.
3. With regard to products covered by Chapter II the provisions in paragraph 1(a) shall not apply
to such agreements, decisions and practices which form an integral part of a national market
organization.
4. If a Party considers that a given practice is incompatible with this Article and if such practice
causes or threatens to cause serious prejudice to the interest of that Party or material injury to its
domestic industry, it may take appropriate measures under the conditions and in accordance with the
procedure laid down in Article 30.
Article 21
State aid
1. Any aid granted by a Party or through state resources in any form which distorts or threatens
to distort competition by favouring certain undertakings or the production of certain goods shall, in so
far as it may affect trade between the Parties, be incompatible with the proper functioning of this
Agreement.
2. The provisions of paragraph 1 shall not apply to products covered by Chapter II.
3. The Parties shall ensure the transparency in the area of state aid, in accordance with the
provisions of the Agreement on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures and the GATT 1994 and each
Party, upon request of the other Party, shall provide information on aid schemes and on particularindividual cases of state aid.
4. If a Party considers that a particular practice, including that in agriculture:WT/REG68/1
Page 8
- is incompatible with the terms of paragraph 1, and
- if such practice causes or threatens to cause serious prejudice to the interest of that
Party or material injury to its domestic industry,
it may take appropriate measures under the conditions of and in accordance with the provisions laid
down in Article 30. Such appropriate measures may only be taken in conformity with the procedures
and under the conditions laid down by the Agreement on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures and
the GATT 1994 and in accordance with the relevant internal legislation of the importing Party.
Article 22
Public procurement
1. The Parties consider the liberalisation of their respective public procurement markets as an
objective of this Agreement.
2. The Parties shall progressively develop their respective regulations for public procurement
with a view to grant suppliers of the other Party by the end of the transitional period, at the latest,
access to contract award procedures on their respective public procurement markets according to the
provisions of the Agreement on Government Procurement concluded within the framework of the
WTO and the Parties’ undertakings therein.
3. The Joint Committee shall examine developments related to the achievement of the objectives
of this Article and may recommend practical modalities of implementing the provisions of
paragraph 2 so as to ensure free access, transparency and a mutual opening of their respective public
procurement markets.
4. During the examination referred to in paragraph 3, the Joint Committee may consider,
especially in the light of development in this area in international relations, the possibility of
expanding the coverage of the market opening provided for in paragraph 2.
5. The Parties shall endeavour to accede to the relevant agreements negotiated under the
auspices of the WTO.
Article 23
Standards
1. The rights and obligations of the Parties rela ting to standards or technical regulations and
related measures shall be governed by the Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade within the WTO.
2. Either Party, upon request of the other Party, shall provide information on particular
individual cases of standards-related measures.
3. The Parties shall aim to reduce technical barriers to trade. To this end the Parties shall enter
where appropriate into negotiations for the conclusion of agreements for the mutual recognition in the
field of conformity assessment, in the spirit of the recommendations of the Agreement on Technical
Barriers to Trade within the WTO.WT/REG68/1
Page 9
Article 24
Dumping
If a Party finds that dumping within the mean ing of Article VI of the GATT 1994 is taking
place in trade relations governed by this Agreement, it may take appropriate measures against that
practice in accordance with the Article VI of the GATT 1994 and the Agreement on Implementation
of Article VI of the GATT 1994 under the conditions and in accordance with the procedure laid down
in Article 30.
Article 25
Protection of intellectual property
1. The Parties shall grant and ensure adequate, effective and non-discriminatory protection of
intellectual property rights including measures for the grant and the enforcement of such rights. The
protection, where necessary, shall be extended, before the end of 1998, to a level corresponding to thesubstantive standards of the multilateral agreements which are specified in Annex III to this
Agreement .
2. For the purpose of this Agreement "intellectual property protection" includes, in particular,
protection of copyright and neighbouring rights in original literary, scientific  and artistic works,
including musical works, computer programs, data bases, audio and visual recordings, trade marks,
geographical indications, industrial designs, patents, topographies of integrated circuits, undisclosed
information including ”know-how” and protection of new varieties of plant.
3. The Parties shall co-operate in matters of intellectual property. They shall hold, upon request
of any Party, experts consultations on these matters, in particular, on activities relating to the existing
or to future international conventions on harmonization, administration and enforcement of
intellectual property and on activities in international organizations, such as the WTO, the World
Intellectual Property Organization, as well as relations of the Parties with other countries on matters
concerning intellectual property.
Article 26
General safeguards
Where any product is being imported in such increased quantities and under such conditions
as to cause or threaten to cause:
(a) serious injury to domestic producers of like or directly competitive products in the
territory of the importing Party; or
(b) serious disturbances in any sector of the economy or difficulties which could bring
about serious deterioration in the economic situation of a region,
the Party concerned may take appropriate measures under the conditions and in accordance with the
procedure laid down in Article 30.WT/REG68/1
Page 10
Article 27
Structural adjustment
1. Exceptional measures of limited duration which derogate from the provisions of Article 3
may be taken by any of the Parties in the form of increased customs duties.
2. These measures may only concern infant industries, or certain sectors undergoing
restructuring or facing serious difficulties, particularly where these difficulties produce important
social problems.
3. Customs duties on imports applicable in the Party concerned to products originating in the
other Party introduced by these measures may not exceed 25 per cent ad valorem and shall maintain
an element of preference in customs duties for produ cts originating in the other Party. The total value
of imports of the products which are subject to th ese measures may not exceed 15 per cent of total
imports of industrial products from the other Party, as defined in Chapter I, during the last year for
which statistics are available.
4. These measures may be applied for a period not exceeding three years. They shall cease to
apply at the latest on the date of the end of the transitional period for this Agreement.
5. No such measures may be introduced in respect of a product if more than three years elapsed
since the elimination of all customs duties and quantitative restrictions or charges or measures having
an equivalent effect concerning that product.
6. The Party concerned shall inform the other Party of any exceptional measures it intends to
take and, upon request of the other Party, consultations shall be held within the Joint Committee onsuch measures and the sectors to which they appl y prior to their introduction. When taking such
measures the Party concerned shall provide the Join t Committee with a schedule for the elimination of
the customs duties introduced under this Article. This schedule shall provide for a phasing out of these
customs duties starting at the latest two years after their introduction, at equal annual rates. The Joint
Committee may decide on a different schedule.
Article 28
Re-export and serious shortage
Where compliance with the provisions of Articles 6 and 8 leads to:
(a) re-export towards a third country against which the exporting Party maintains for the
product concerned quantitative export restrictions, export duties or measures or
charges having equivalent effect; or
(b) a serious shortage, or threat thereof, of a product essential to the exporting Party,
and where the situations referred to above give rise or are likely to give rise to major difficulties for
the exporting Party, that Party may take appropriate measures under the conditions and in accordance
with the procedure laid down in Article 30.  The measures shall be non-discriminatory and be
eliminated when conditions no longer justify their maintenance.WT/REG68/1
Page 11
Article 29
Fulfilment of obligations
1. The Parties shall take any general or specific measures required to fulfil their obligations
under this Agreement. They shall see to it that the objectives set out in this Agreement are attained.
2. If a Party considers that the other Party has failed to fulfil an obligation under this Agreement,
the Party concerned may take appropriate measures under the conditions and in accordance with the
procedure laid down in Article 30.
Article 30
Procedure for the application of safeguard measures
1. In the event of either Party subjecting imports of products liable to give rise to the difficulties
referred to in Article 26 to an administrative procedure having as its purpose the rapid provision ofinformation on the trend of trade flows, it shall inform the other Party.
2. In the cases specified in Articles 24, 26 and 28 before taking the measures provided for
therein or, in cases to which paragraphs 3 (a), 3 (e ) and 3 ( f ) apply, as soon as possible, either Party,
as the case may be, shall supply the Joint Committ ee with all relevant information, with a view to
seeking a solution acceptable to both Parties.
In the selection of measures, priority must be given to those which least disturb the
functioning of this Agreement.
The safeguard measures shall be notified immediately to the Joint Committee and shall be the
subject of periodic consultations within that body, par ticularly with a view to establishing a timetable
for their abolition as soon as circumstances permit.
3. For the implementation of paragraph 2, the following provisions shall apply:
(a) as regards Articles 20 and 21, the Party concerned shall give the Joint Committee all
the assistance required in order to examine the case and, where appropriate, eliminate
the practice objected to. If the Party in question fails to put an end to the practice
objected to within the period fixed by the Joint Committee or if the Joint Committee
fails to reach an agreement within 30 days of the matter being referred to it, the Party
concerned may adopt the appropriate measures to deal with the difficulties resultingfrom the practice in question;
(b) as regards Article 24, the Joint Committee shall be informed of the dumping case as
soon as the authorities of the importing Party have initiated an investigation. When no
end has been put to the dumping within the meaning of Article VI of the GATT 1994or no other satisfactory solution has been reached within 30 days of the matter being
referred to the Joint Committee, the importing Party may adopt the appropriate
measures;
(c) as regards Article 26, the difficulties rising from the situation referred to in that
Article shall be referred for examination to the Joint Committee, which may take any
decision needed to put an end to such difficulties.WT/REG68/1
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If the Joint Committee or the exporting Party has not taken a decision putting an end
to the difficulties or no other satisfactory solution has been reached within 30 days of
the matter being referred, the importing Party may adopt the appropriate measures to
remedy the problem. These measures must not exceed the scope of what is necessary
to remedy the difficulties which have arisen;
(d) as regards Article 28, the difficulties arising from the situations referred to in that
Article shall be referred for examination to the Joint Committee.  The Joint Committee
may take any decision needed to put an end to the difficulties. If it has not taken such
a decision within 30 days of the matter being referred to it, the exporting Party may
apply appropriate measures on the exportation of the product concerned;
(e) as regards Article 29, the Party concerned may take appropriate measures after the
consultations have been concluded or a peri od of three months has elapsed from the
date of notification to the other Party;
(f) where exceptional circumstances requiring immediate action make prior information
or examination, as the case may be, impossible, either Party whichever is concerned
may, in the situations specified in Articles 24, 26 and 28, apply forthwith the
precautionary and provisional measures strictly necessary to deal with the situation,
and the Joint Committee will be informed immediately.
Article 31
Balance of payments difficulties
1. The Parties shall endeavour to avoid the imposition of restrictive measures including
measures relating to imports for balance of payments purposes.
2. Where one of the Parties is in serious balance of payments difficulties, or under imminent
threat thereof, the Party concerned may, in accordance with the conditions established under the
GATT 1994  and under Article VIII of the Articles of Agreement of the International Monetary Fund,
adopt restrictive measures, including measures related to imports, which shall be of limited duration
and may not go beyond what is necessary to remedy the balance of payments situation. The measuresshall be progressively relaxed as balance of payments conditions improve and they shall be eliminated
when conditions no longer justify their maintenance. The Party concerned shall inform the other Party
forthwith of their introduction and, whenever practicable, of a time schedule for their removal.
Article 32
Evolutionary clause
1. Where a Party considers that it would be useful in the interests of the economies of the Parties
to develop and to deepen the relations established by this Agreement by extending them to fields notcovered thereby, it shall submit a reasoned reques t to the other Party. The Joint Committee shall
examine such a request and, where appropriate, may make recommendations, particularly with a view
to opening negotiations.
2. Agreements resulting from the procedure referred to in paragraph 1 will be subject to the
ratification or to the approval by the Parties in accordance with their internal legislation and
procedures.WT/REG68/1
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CHAPTER IV
Institutional and Final Provisions
Article 33
The Joint Committee
1. A Joint Committee is hereby established and shall consist of a representative of the Republic
of Turkey, on the one hand, and of a representative of the Slovak Republic, on the other hand.
2. The Joint Committee shall be responsible for the administration of this Agreement and shall
ensure its proper implementation. It shall examin e any major issue arising within the framework of
this Agreement and any other trade or economic issues of mutual interest. The Joint Committee shall
keep under review the possibility of further removal  of  the  obstacles  to  trade  between  the  Parties.
3. For the purpose of the proper implementation of this Agreement, the Parties shall exchange
information and, upon request of any Party, shall hold consultations within the Joint Committee.
4. The Joint Committee may take decisions in the cas es provided for in this Agreement.  These
decisions shall be implemented by the Parties in accordance with their internal legislation.  The Joint
Committee may also make recommendations on any other trade and economic matter of mutualinterest to the Parties.
Article 34
Procedures of the Joint Committee
1. For the proper implementation of this Agreement, the Joint Committee shall meet whenever
necessary but at least once a year. Either Party may request that a meeting be held.
2. The Joint Committee shall act by common agreement.3. If the representative of a Party in the Joint Committee has accepted, under reservation, a
decision subject to the fulfilment of internal lega l requirements, the decision shall enter into force, if
no later date is contained therein, on the day the lifting of the reservation is notified.
4. For the purpose of this Agreement the Joint Committee shall adopt its rules of procedure
which shall, inter alia, contain provisions for convening meetings and for the designation of theChairman and his term of office.
5. The Joint Committee may decide to set up subcommittees and working groups as it considers
necessary to assist it in accomplishing its tasks.
Article 35
Trade relations governed by other agreements
1. This Agreement shall not preclude the maintenance or establishment of customs unions, free
trade areas or arrangements for frontier trade which are in accordance with the provisions of
Article XXIV of the GATT 1994 and with the Understanding on the Interpretation of the
Article XXIV of the GATT 1994, except in so far as they alter the trade arrangements provided for in
this Agreement.WT/REG68/1
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2. Exchange of information between the Parties shall take place within the Joint Committee
concerning agreements establishing such customs unions or free trade areas.
Article 36
Annexes and Protocols
1. The Annexes and the Protocols to this Agreement are an integral part of it.2. The Joint Committee may decide to modify or amend the Annexes and the Protocols. In this
case the modifications or amendments shall enter into force on the date of a receipt of the latterdiplomatic note confirming the approval by  the Government of the respective Party.
Article 37
Amendments
Amendments to this Agreement other than those referred to in paragraph 2 of Article 36  shall
enter into force on the date of a receipt of the latter diplomatic note confirming that all internal legal
procedures required by each Party for their entry into force have been completed.
Article 38
Entry into force
1. This Agreement is subject to the ratification by the Parties and shall enter into force on the
first day of the second  month after the date of exchange of the instruments of ratification.
2. The exchange of the instruments of ratification shall take place in Bratislava.
Article 39
Validity and termination
1. This Agreement is concluded for an unlimited period.2. Either Party may terminate this Agreement by a written notification to the other Party.  The
termination shall take effect on the first day of the seventh month following the date on which thenotification was received by the other Party.
In Witness Whereof  the undersigned plenipotentiaries, being duly authorised thereto, have
signed this Agreement.
Done  at Ankara, this 20
th day of October 1997, in two originals, each in the English language,
both texts being equally authentic.
For the Republic of Turkey For the Slovak RepublicWT/REG68/1
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RECORD OF UNDERSTANDINGS
1. The Parties to this Agreement recognise the growing importance of the trade in services. In
their efforts to gradually develop and broaden their co-operation they shall co-operate with the aim ofachieving a gradual liberalisation of trade in services.
The Parties shall discuss in the Joint Committee this co-operation no later than three years
after the Agreement enters into force.
2. With regard to paragraph 2 of Article 36, the Governments of the Parties shall act in
accordance with the legal procedures required by the national law in force.
3. The Parties shall examine periodically, within the framework of the Joint Committee, the
possibilities of granting each other further concessions in trade in agricultural products.
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