Conference “New Political Challenges for Germany, Turkey and the EU – 2019”

INSITER realized in cooperation with the Center for Turkey and EU Studies (CETEUS), Turkish-German University Political Science and International Relations Department, Center for Migration and Integration at the Turkish-German University (TAGU) and German Academic Exchange Service DAAD an international symposium titled “New political challenges for Germany, Turkey and the EU – 2019” with the participation of around 120 international guests including academicians, representatives of non-governmental organizations and the media and students from different universities on 3 May 2019 at the Beykoz campus of the Turkish-German University.

The opening speeches of the symposium were given by the Coordinator of the German Consortium of the Turkish-German University, Prof. Dr. İzzet FURGAÇ, faculty member of the University of Cologne and Vice-President of the German Consortium responsible for the foundation of the Turkish-German University, Prof. Dr. Wolfgang WESSELS, and the head of the Political Science and International Relations Department Prof. Dr. M. Murat ERDOĞAN. Following the opening speeches, the Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to Turkey Martin ERDMANN gave a keynote speech titled “A World in Disarray: What Can Be Done to Fix It? A German View”.

Following the speech of Ambassador Martin ERDMANN, the symposium has continued with the opening panel titled “Present and Future of EU-Turkey Relations”. At the panel chaired by Prof. Dr. Atila ERALP (Istanbul Policy Center), the present and future of  EU-Turkey relations have been discussed by Dr. Günter SEUFERT (SWP), Assoc. Prof. Dr. Beken SAATÇİOĞLU (MEF University), Alina THIEME (University of Cologne), and INSITER Coordinator Asst. Prof. Dr. Ebru TURHAN (Turkish-German University) based on the results of the research projects conducted by the panelists. 

Following Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Director for EU Affairs Faruk KAYMAKCI’s speech during which an interactive survey on EU-Turkey affairs was conducted and the recent developments in EU-Turkey relations were evaluated, the second session has started with the moderation of Prof. Dr. Michael KAEDING (University of Duisburg-Essen). In this session titled “Migration and Diaspora Policy in EU-Turkey Relations: Latest Trends and Impact”, Prof. Dr. M. Murat ERDOĞAN (Turkish-German University), Prof. Dr. Ahmet İÇDUYGU (Koç University) and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ayselin GÖZDE YILDIZ (Yaşar University) made presentations. In the panel various topics including the effects of the  refugee crisis on EU member states, the challenges that Turkey faces and the policies that were implemented due to the Syrian refugees in Turkey, and lastly, the role and shortcomings of the readmission agreement in solving the refugee crisis were discussed.

In the final panel of the symposium titled “Current Trends in World Politics and Reflections on EU-Turkey Relations”, latest developments and trends in world politics have been discussed from manifold angles. At this session, chaired by Prof. Dr. Mathias JOPP (IEP Berlin), Prof. Dr. Birgül DEMİRTAŞ (TOBB ETU), Asst. Prof. Dr. Deniz KURU (Turkish-German University), and Prof. Dr. Bernhard STAHL (Passau University) made presentations.

The symposium was finalized by the closing remarks of the INSITER Coordinator Asst. Prof. Dr. Ebru TURHAN,  Asst. Prof. Dr. Deniz KURU and Prof. Dr. Wolfgang WESSELS and followed by an networking dinner. The program can be read here.