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.
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 will realize a research stay at the Institute for European Politics (IEP) in Berlin during June-September 2018 with the kind support of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD). Throughout her stay Turhan will serve as a visiting researcher at the IEP where she will intensively focus on the normative consistency of the EU’s enlargement policy towards Turkey and Turkey’s issue-specific external differentiated integrated with the EU, which are research areas closely linked to the INSITER project. In this vein, the research stay at the IEP will positively contribute to the overall progression of the project and the research conducted within the framework of the INSITER while also enabling the dissemination of the existing project outputs within the German academic circles.
INSITER Coordinator Ebru Turhan participated in the 25th IPSA World Congress of Political Science, which was held between 21 and 25 July 2018 in Brisbane, Australia with the theme “Borders and Margins”. At the conference Turhan presented her paper titled “From Accession to Partnership? Normative Questions about the EU’s Enlargement Policy towards Turkey” at the panel “Differentiated Integration in the European Union – Consequences for Relations with Neighbours”.
On 19 June 2018 INSITER Coordinator Ebru Turhan hold a guest lecture titled “EU-Turkey Relations: State of Play, Future Prospects and Germany’s Role” at the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU) with the participation of more than 100 students. The interactive lecture that took more than two hours was convened and moderated by Prof. Dr. Johannes Varwick.
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 – 2018″ with the participation of more than hundred guests including academicians, representatives of non governmental organizations and students from different universities on 18 May 2018 at the Beykoz campus of the Turkish-German University.
The opening speeches of the symposium were given by the Rector of the Turkish-German University, Prof. Dr. Halil AKKANAT, 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 Head of the Political Science and International Relations Department Prof. Dr. M. Murat ERDOĞAN. Following the opening speeches, the keynote speakers, Head of EU Delegation to Turkey Ambassador Christian BERGER and Deputy Undersecretary for Foreign Affairs Ambassador Mehmet Kemal BOZBAY, gave their speeches during which they elaborated on the recent developments in relations between EU, Germany and Turkey.
Following the keynote speeches, the symposium has continued with the opening panel entitled “Introductory Panel: Present and Future of EU-Turkey Relations”. At the panel chaired by Prof. Dr. Hartmut MARHOLD (CIFE- Centre International de Formation Européenne), the present and future of EU-Turkey relations have been discussed by Prof. Dr. Sinem Akgül AÇIKMEŞE (Kadir Has University), Prof. Dr. Mathias JOPP (IEP- Institute for European Politics), Prof. Dr. Atila ERALP (METU, Istanbul Policy Center) and INSITER Coordinator Asst. Prof. Dr. Ebru TURHAN (Turkish-German University). At the panel, it was emphasized that even though EU-Turkey relations periodically pursued a course of ups and downs, EU and Turkey needed each other mutually in view of joint interests and challenges. The panel also touched upon the future prospective institutional architecture of EU-Turkey relations.
In the second session moderated by Prof. Dr. Kai OPPERMANN (University of Sussex), the refugee crisis was discussed in view of the triangle “EU, Turkey and Germany”. In this session entitled “EU, Turkey, Germany Triangle in view of the Refugee Crisis”, Dr. Günter SEUFERT (SWP- German Institute for International and Security Affairs), Assoc. Prof. Deniz Şenol SERT (Özyeğin University) and Prof. Dr. M. Murat ERDOĞAN (Turkish-German University) made their presentations. At the panel, the effects of the existing refugee crisis on the EU member states, the challenges that Turkey faces with the Syrian refugee population and lastly the role of the readmission agreement between the EU and Turkey in solving the refugee crisis and its deficiencies were discussed.
At the last session of the symposium entitled “German-Turkish Diaspora Policies: Latest Trends and Impact on Bilateral Dialogue”, German-Turkish diaspora policies have been discussed. At this session chaired by Assoc. Prof. Thomas KRUMM (Turkish-German University), Prof. Dr. Ayhan KAYA (Bilgi University), Dr. Yaşar AYDIN (Evangelische Hochschule Hamburg) and Asst. Prof. Dr. Enes BAYRAKLI (Turkish-German University) made their presentations. The policies of the governments of Turkey and Germany concerning Turkish immigrants in Germany have been discussed and the incompatible policies of the parties have been criticized. Furthermore, the impact of Islamophobia on the integration of Tukish immigrants has been examined.
Following the keynote speech of Mithat RENDE, member of the board of TSKB and retired former ambassador, about recent developments in energy policies within the scope of the relations between Turkey and EU, the symposium was finalised by closing remarks of INSITER Coordinator Asst. Prof. Dr. Ebru TURHAN, faculty member Asst. Prof. Dr. Deniz KURU and Prof. Dr. Wolfgang WESSELS. Please click here for the programme.
