INSITER 2016/17 Academic Co-Coordinator and INSITER Advisory Board Member Wulf Reiners published together with Funda Tekin an article entitled “Taking Refuge in Leadership? Facilitators and Constraints of Germany’s Influence in EU Migration Policy and EU-Turkey Affairs during the Refugee Crisis (2015–2016)” in German Politics, 2019, https://doi.org/10.1080/09644008.2019.1566457.
INSITER Coordinator Ebru Turhan’s chapter titled “Thinking out of the Accession Box: The Potential and Limitations of Internal and External Differentiated Integration between Turkey and the EU” was published in the edited volume (Matthias Waechter / Hartmut Marhold, Eds.) “Europe – Against the Tide”, pp. 43-59, Nomos: Baden-Baden.
INSITER Coordinator Ebru Turhan gave a talk on the limits of and potentials for external differentiated integration between Turkey and the EU as regards gender policies at a panel titled “Avrupa Birliği Bağlamında Toplumsal Cinsiyet Tartışmaları”. The panel took place on 20 December 2018 at the Istanbul Commerce University and was organized by the WDEGP Jean Monnet Module.
INSITER Coordinator Ebru Turhan participated in the CETEUS Annual Conference titled “Full steam ahead? Reflections on the Future of the European Union and Developments in EU-Turkey Relations” which took place during 13-14 December 2018 in Berlin and acted as a panelist in the panel “Which way forward? Scenarios for EU-Turkey Relations”. Throughout her speech Turhan emphasized the deadlock in the institutional structure of the relationship between Turkey and the EU and noted that out of the 3 existing models of external differentiated integration between the EU and third countries (ENP, EEA and Strategic Partnership) and the future Brexit model, the prospective model with the UK is likely to suit the future relationship between Turkey and the EU the most. Turhan argued that the EU and key member states are likely to wait until the formation and approval of the final Brexit formula and propose its key components with slight changes to Turkey.
On 4 December 2018 INSITER Coordinator Ebru Turhan acted as a panelist together with Dr Simon Waldman (King’s College London) at a breakfast talk in Berlin titled “Between Brussels and London: The UK’s Turkey Policy after Brexit” organized by Heinrich Boell Foundation. Throughout her speech Turhan addressed the existing partnership models between the EU and third countries outside the accession framework and analyzed the similarities and differences between Turkey and these third countries in terms of their working relationship with the EU. Turhan further talked about the limits and potentials of the applicability of a possible Brexit model to the EU-Turkey dialogue.
INSITER Coordinator Ebru Turhan’s comments on the progression of Turkish accession process and possible future institutional framework of the relations between Turkey and the EU were published in Deutsche Welle’s 22 November 2018 article titled “Stratejik ortaklık mı tam üyelik mi?“. In the interview Turhan has particulary put emphasis on the likely evolution of a new partnership arrangement outside the accession framework in view of the current deadlock in accession negotiations. However, she also emphasized that it was going to be very difficult for both parties to find an alternative suitable arrangement, which is likely going to be a long process.
INSITER Jean Monnet Module organized in cooperation with TOBB ETÜ and the TRIANGLE Project of the University of Cologne / Middle East Technical University a roundtable titled “Turkey’s Place in the Debates on the Future of Europe” on 19 November 2018 at the premises of TOBB ETÜ in Ankara. The event brought together around 60 Turkish and international students of political science and international relations, academics, representatives of EU institutions and the media, and tackled the perspectives and limitations for Turkey’s inclusion in the debates on the future of EUrope.
The event was kicked off with an opening speech by Prof. Dr. Haldun Yalçınkaya, Head of the Department of Political Science and International Relations @TOBB ETÜ and chaired by Prof. Dr. Atila Eralp, Mercator-IPC Senior Fellow at the Istanbul Policy Center. Throughout the event Assoc. Prof. Dr. Başak Alpan (METU), Assoc. Prof. Dr. Başak Yavcan (TOBB ETU), Assoc. Prof. Dr. Hakan Övünç Ongur (TOBB ETU) and INSITER Coordinator Asst. Prof. Dr. Ebru Turhan discussed the main question from different angles including the De-Europeanization trends in Turkey, migration policies, Turkey’s compatibility with the “common” European identity and Turkey’s possible external differentiated integration with the EU.
Between 18-20 November 2018, a study visit to Ankara was realized within the framework of INSITER Jean Monnet Module. The INSITER delegation consisting of INSITER coordinator Ebru Turhan, INSITER senior staff member Atila Eralp, INSITER research assistant Çiğdem Çelik and 22 BA and MA students held talks with Faruk Kaymakçı, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs & Director for EU Affairs, German Ambassador Martin Erdmann and Julian Vassallo, Political Counsellor at the Delegation of the EU to Turkey. The delegation also participated in a roundtable organized at TOBB ETU on Turkey’s place in the debates on the future of Europe. The talks mainly focused on the current status quo in EU-Turkey dialogue, Turkey’s EU accession process, German-Turkish political, economic and social relations, the Brexit process and the 2019 European Parliament elections.
The full program of the excursion could be read here.
INSITER Jean Monnet Module will organize in cooperation with TOBB ETÜ and the TRIANGLE Project of the University of Cologne / Middle East Technical University a roundtable titled “Turkey’s Place in the Debates on the Future of Europe” on 19 November 2018 at the premises of TOBB ETÜ in Ankara. The event aims to bring together Turkish and international academics, students of political science and international relations, key representatives of civil society operating in Ankara and discuss perspectives and limitations for Turkey’s inclusion in the debates on the future of EUrope. For participation please RSVP to the contact information provided in the document below.
INSITER Coordinator Ebru Turhan participated in the joint conference of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation (KAS) and German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) titled “300 Years Old German-Turkish Friendship: Status and Perspectives” and organized between 18 and 20 October 2018 in Antalya. During conference Turhan presented a paper titled “Periodisation of German-Turkish Relations and Official German Position on Turkey’s EU Accession Process: an Analysis in view of the Convergence / Divergence of the Norms and Interests”.
