INSITER Visit to European Parliament and European Policy Center

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The annual INSITER study trip of the Turkish-German University’s MA programme “European and International Affairs” (MEIA) continued with various interesting meetings in Brussels, inter-alia with talks with Dr. Ingeborg Gräßle, Member of the European Parliament and Janis Emmanouilidis, Director of Studies at the European Policy Center (EPC). The Brussels visit was realized in close cooperation with partner universities, the University of Cologne and Sciences Po, and included students from University of Cologne, Sciences Po, and Charles University Prague.

Visitors group Ingeborg GRAESSLE

The exchange with Janis Emmanouilidis at the EPC focused on the effects of the Brexit process on the political atmosphere in the EU, possible collateral damages of the process in terms of unity in the EU and the threat of populism. The students and the INSITER team are thankful for the warm welcome and the enlightening exchanges.

Conference on New Political Challenges for Germany, Turkey and the EU – 2018

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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.

Kick-Off of the 2018 INSITER Study Visit to Brussels and Berlin

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On May 31, the annual INSITER study trip of the Turkish-German University’s MA program “European and International Affairs” has officially started. The program which takes place in the framework of the INSITER project, is also supported by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) and the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research. In the next two weeks, it will take the students to Brussels and Berlin to gather first-hand insights in European decision-making and EU-Turkey affairs. A draft of the full program can be found here.

On June 1, 2018, the program was launched with a meeting with Tobias Grothe, Permanent Representation of the Federal Republic of Germany to the EU in Brussels. Mr. Grothe talked to the MEIA students about the institutional structure, mission and tasks of the Permanent Representation of the Federal Republic of Germany. The students also had the opportunity to discuss EU-Turkish and German-Turkish relations with Mr. Grothe.

The study visit continued with various interesting meetings in Brussels, inter-alia with visits to the Permanent Delegation of Turkey to the European Union and Permanent Representation of the Federal Republic of Germany to the NATO. Students met with Felix Kroll, expert at the Permanent Representation of the Federal Republic of Germany to NATO. The exchange focused on the main tasks of the Permanent Representation, Common Security and Defense Policy of the EU, Turkey-NATO dialogue and  NATO’s core tasks in crisis management and collective security. On the same day the students also met with Burak Erdemir, Deputy Permanent Delegate at the Permanent Delegation of Turkey to the European Union.

 

 

 

New Publication on External Differentiated Integration

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INSITER Coordinator Ebru Turhan recently published an article titled “Avrupa Birliği’nin Üçüncü Ülkelerle Harici Farklılaştırılmış Entegrasyon Modelleri ve Türkiye-AB İlişkilerinin Geleceği: Neoliberal Bir Yaklaşım” (Models of Differentiated Integration between the European Union and Third Countries and the Future
of Turkey–EU Relations: A Neoliberal Approach) in SİYASAL: Journal of Political Sciences (indexed in ESCI), Vol. 27, No. 1, pp. 95-120.

Meeting of the INSITER Advisory Board

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On May 17, 2018 the third 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 2017-18,  midterm evaluation by the European Commission, additional potential cooperation partners, and on the planning of upcoming project activities, such as the study trip to Brussels and Berlin and the international simulation exercise in Brussels. The group also exchanged ideas on potential follow-up projects and applications post INSITER.

Paper Presentation at the ECSA-C Biennial Conference on External Differentiated Integration

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INSITER Coordinator Ebru Turhan participated in the 2018 Biennial Conference of the European Community Studies Association – Canada (ECSA-C) that took place during 9-11 May 2018 in Toronto, Canada. Turhan presented a paper titled “The Evolution of Extended External Differentiated Integration between Turkey and the EU: Causes, Functional Arrangements and Normative Challenges” at the panel “Nearby Tensions: Changes in EU relations with neighbouring states”.

Upcoming Conference: “New political challenges for Germany, Turkey and the EU – V”

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On behalf of the Turkish-German University, the University of Cologne, 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 5th Joint Conference “New political challenges for Germany Turkey and EU” on May 18, 2018. The conference takes place in the premises of the Turkish-German University in Istanbul (Beykoz) and will bring together scholars from Turkey and EU countries who are engaged in EU studies and Germany-Turkey relations.

The conference program foresees a welcome address and three thematic panels:

  • Present and Future of EU-Turkey Relations
  • EU, Turkey, Germany Triangle in view of the Refugee Crisis
  • German-Turkish Diaspora Policies: Latest Trends and Impact on Bilateral Dialogue

The final program can be downloaded by clicking  here. In order to attend, please complete your registration by contacting pib@tau.edu.tr. 

INSITER Coordinator @ VIADUCT Annual Conference

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INSITER Coordinator Ebru Turhan participated in the first annual conference  of the Erasmus+/Jean Monnet Academic Network “VIADUCT – Enhancing Visibility of the Academic Dialogue on EU-Turkey Cooperation” that took place in Brussels on 26-27 April 2018. The conference was co-organised by the Trans European Policy Studies Association (TEPSA) and the Centre for Turkey and EU-Studies (CETEUS) of the University of Cologne. Turkish-German University serves as an official partner of the VIADUCT Jean Monnet Academic Network.

At the annual conference Turhan chaired the working group “PEOPLE”, which dealt with the key divers of and barriers to the functioning of the EU- Turkey Statement on the management of irregular migration.

 

INSITER-Yaşar University Roundtable on EU-Germany-Turkey Trio took place in Izmir

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INSITER Jean Monnet Module at the Turkish-German University together with the UNESCO Chair on International Migration at the Yaşar University realized on 5 April 2018 a roundtable titled “Turkey-EU-Germany Relations at a Crossroads: What Future Awaits the Trio?” in Izmir, at the premises of the Yaşar University.

The roundtable was chaired by Prof. Dr. Aylin Güney, Dean of the Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences at the Yaşar University, and kicked off by the introductory remarks of Dr. Rainer Lassig, Consul General of the Federal Republic of Germany in Izmir. The first panelist, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Alexander Bürgin, Jean Monnet Chair at the Department of Political Science and International Relations at the Izmir University of Economics, discussed Germany’s role and evolving position within the EU in view of the multiple crises and the diverse constraints on German influence in the EU, and addressed Germany’s impact on EU-Turkey relations.

Dr. Ebru Turhan, INSITER Coordinator at the Turkish-German University, elaborated on the uniqueness of the critical crossroads the EU-Turkish dialogue has recently encountered and discussed Germany’s increasingly visible role as a key veto player in EU-Turkey relations. The final panelist of the roundtable, Dr. Ayselin Yıldız, UNESCO Chair on International Migration at the Yaşar University, disclosed the latest developments in Germany’s immigration and integration policies, their impact on German-Turkish relations and discussed Germany’s prospective role in the further evolution of the EU’s migration policy.

Around 60 academics, civil society representatives and students from various universities in the Izmir region participated in the roundtable.

New Roundtable: Turkey-EU-Germany Relations at a Crossroads: What Future Awaits the Trio?

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On April 5, 2018, following the EU-Turkey Summit in Varna, INSITER together with the UNESCO Chair on International Migration at the Yaşar University will organise a roundtable titled “Turkey-EU-Germany Relations at a Crossroads: What Future Awaits the Trio? “.

The roundtable will take place at 2:30 pm in the premises of the Yaşar University in Izmir and bring together academics, students and civil society representatives focusing on EU-Turkey-Germany dialogue.

The roundtable will be chaired by Prof. Dr. Aylin Güney (Yaşar University) and will include following speakers:

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Alexander Bürgin (Izmir University of Economics)
Dr. Ebru Turhan (Turkish-German University / INSITER Coordinator)
Dr. Ayselin Yıldız (Yaşar University)