On May 2, 2019 the fourth meeting of the INSITER Advisory and Steering Board took place in Istanbul. The meeting served the purpose to jointly reflect on the programme implementation during the last three years, the key achievements of the project including teaching, publications, events and dissemination. The group also discussed potential follow-up projects and applications on EU-Turkey relations following the conclusion of the INSITER module.
Upcoming Conference: “New political challenges for Germany, Turkey and the EU – 2019″
On behalf of the University of Cologne, the Turkish-German University, the Jean Monnet Module INSITER- Inside the Turkey-EU Relations, Migration and Integration Research Center (TAGU) and German Academic Exchange Service DAAD, we are pleased to invite you to participate in the 6th Joint Conference “New political challenges for Germany Turkey and EU” on May 3, 2019. The conference takes place in the premises of the Turkish-German University in Istanbul (Beykoz) and will bring together scholars from both Turkey and EU countries who are engaged in EU and IR studies and Germany –Turkey relations.
The conference program foresees keynote speeches by Ambassador Faruk Kaymakcı, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs & Director for EU Affairs, and Martin Erdmann, Ambassador of Germany to Turkey and three thematic panels on:
- Past, current and future trends in EU-Germany-Turkey relations
- Migration and diaspora policy in EU-Turkey relations: latest trends and impact
- Current trends in world politics and reflections on EU-Turkey relations
Please contact emre.midilli@tau.edu.tr for registration.
Teaching EU-Turkey Relations
INSITER Coordinator Ebru Turhan participated in the Annual Conference of the Jean Monnet Network Viaduct on 20-21 March 2019 at the Istanbul Policy Center in Istanbul. During the conference Turhan chaired a working group on “Teaching EU-Turkey Relations”, where next pressing questions, topics and methods in teaching and research on EU-Turkey relations were discussed.
New Publication on Germany’s Influence in EU Migration Policy and EU-Turkey Affairs
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.
New publication on “Thinking out of the Accession Box”
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.
Panel on Gender Policies in Turkey and the EU Influence
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.
Scenarios on the Future of EU-Turkey Relations
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.
Talk on the Impact of Brexit Process on EU-Turkey Relations
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.
Interview with DW on EU-Turkey Relations
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.
Roundtable on Turkey’s Place in the Debates on the Future of Europe Took Place in Ankara
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.
