IKV organized a seminar entitled “Turkey and the European Union: Opportunities and Obstacles for Further Integration” on 9 June 2015 in Riga. The seminar was organized under the framework of IKV’s Project entitled “Presidencies of Council of the EU and Turkey-EU Relations” in cooperation with Stockholm School of Economics in Riga.

The opening speeches were given by Senior Vice-President of Stockholm School of Economics in Riga Gunnar Ljungdahl, Vice-Chairman of IKV and Dean of Faculty of Law of Yeditepe University Prof. Dr. Halûk Kabaalioğlu and Turkish Ambassador to Latvia His Excellency Hayri Hayret Yalav. During the plenary session of the seminar, Lecturer at University of Latvia and Stockholm School of Economics in Riga Prof. Daunis Auers, Dr. Sait Akman from TEPAV Trade Studies Centre, Jean Monnet Chair and EU Studies Department Graduate School of Social Sciences of Dokuz Eylül University Chair Prof. Canan Balkır, IKV Secretary General Assoc. Prof. Çiğdem Nas and IKV Deputy Secretary General and Research Director Melih Özsöz presented their points of view on Turkey-EU relations.  

The first opening speech was given by Senior Vice-President of Stockholm School of Economics in Riga Gunnar Ljungdahl. Senior Vice-President Gunnar stressed that Turkey’s internal dynamics have changed in the historical process. In his speech, Gunnar stated that Turkey and Latvia are united in a common ground in regard to the political dimension. According to Senior Vice-President Gunnar, Turkey has an important geopolitical role because of its strategic location in the region.

In his opening remarks, IKV Vice-Chairman and Dean of Faculty of Law of Yeditepe University Prof. Dr. Halûk Kabaalioğlu informed participants about the main objective of IKV within the framework of Turkey-EU relations. He pointed out to the challenges in Turkey’s current negotiation process with the EU.  In this respect, he drew the attention to Cyprus issue, visa requirements and structural problems of Turkey-EU Customs Union. He added that the current structure of Customs Union does not allow Turkey to compete in equal terms. IKV Vice-Chairman Prof. Dr. Kabaalioğlu also believed that elections in both Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus and Turkey would give a positive momentum in Turkey’s political process. 

During his opening speech, Turkish Ambassador to Latvia His Excellency Hayri Hayret Yalav underlined that the EU membership is essential for Turkey due to historical and geographical ties as well as being a strategic aim for Turkey. Defining Turkey’s accession process as a comprehensive reform movement, Ambassador Yalav highlighted that Turkey’s EU membership will be a catalyst for strengthening the universal values. Ambassador Yalav further added that the common ground for both parties remains yet the accession negotiations have not reached the desired level. Nevertheless he drew the attention to the economic and social reforms carried out by Turkey in the past few years. Stressing to the importance of renegotiating and renewing Turkey’s EU accession process, Ambassador Yalav mentioned also the possible negative implications of TTIP on Turkey’s trade policy.

During the panel which was moderated by IKV Vice-Chairman Prof. Dr. Kabaalioğlu, University of Latvia and Stockholm School of Economics in Riga Lecturer Prof. Daunis Auers made a presentation titled “Fears of Further Enlargement From the Perspective of the EU: Comparing 2004 Enlargement and the Case of Turkey”. During his presentation, Prof. Auers explained the process that led to different perceptions at the level of EU citizens and other candidate countries. Underlining the fact that while EU’s enlargement prior to 2004 Enlargement was not seen as a priority for the EU citizens, Prof. Auers expressed that after 10 years citizens witness and take part in such process as a result of the nature of enlargement. Therefore, Prof. Auers underlined that migration has become a significant phenomenon both for citizens and decision-makers in the aftermath of the 2004 Enlargement.

During her presentation titled “Turkey as a an Emerging Economy: Innovation and R&D Policies”, Jean Monnet Chair and EU Studies Department Graduate School of Social Sciences of Dokuz Eylül University Chair Prof. Canan Balkır addressed explained Turkey’s innovation and R&D expenditures as well as current economic indicators. Reminding the liberalisation process started in Turkey in the 1980s followed by an economic growth, Prof. Balkır underlined Turkey’s ranking at the lower levels in international rankings of innovation and R&D investments although Turkey is the 17^th biggest economy in the world with 822 billion US dollars GDP. Prof. Balkır further addressed Turkey’s competitive potential in the international market is not fully mobilized and, in contrast, Turkey has become a country where European investors heavily invest in. Addressing the results of the Global Competitiveness Report, Prof. Balkır explained that Turkey is ranked as 44^th among 148 countries with regard to R&D technologies which is equivalent to a “relatively innovative” country according European Commission’s Innovation Union Scoreboard. Reminding that 0.87 % of Turkey’s GDP is spent to innovation and R&D, Prof. Balkır mentioned that the expenditure on public research systems is even quite lower with 0.48 % which hinders Turkey to have a say in international research networks.

Dr. Sait Akman from the TEPAV Trade Studies Centre assessed the effects of the multilateral trade system upon Turkey in a presentation entitled “Turkey-EU Customs Union: Effects upon Economic Relations”. Dr. Akman explained that it was unacceptable that as a result of EU’s new generation free trade agreements signed with third countries, the industrial goods of these countries enter Turkey through the EU customs free and comparatively Turkish export goods are subject to tariffs of these countries. Dr. Akman stressed that this situation creates an asymmetric structure. Furthermore, Dr. Akman added that Turkey is the only candidate country which has started a negotiations process with the EU that is based on the Customs Union. Dr. Akman further explained the reduced influence of the Customs Union upon Turkey-EU relations. 

Following Dr. Sait Akman, IKV Secretary General Assoc. Prof. Çiğdem Nas assessed the turning points of Turkish foreign policy within the framework of the periodic process in a presentation entitled “Turkey that is in a Difficult Region: Foreign Policy Cooperation between Turkey and the EU”. IKV Secretary General Assoc. Prof. Nas explained that, in light of Turkey’s international and regional location, Turkey has been at the forefront in important issues these last years. Moreover, taking into account the effect of EU reforms upon Turkish Foreign Policy, especially with the reduction of the competences of the National Security Council and in light of the developments in fundamental rights and freedoms with the strengthening of civil society organisations, Assoc. Prof. Nas indicated that since 2002 a total of 65 diplomatic representations have been opened abroad. Moreover, IKV Secretary General Assoc. Prof. Nas reminded that the official development aids of Turkey have risen from $85 million in 2002 to $3.3 billion. Furthermore, Assoc. Prof. Nas stressed that the trade volume has increased from $88 billion to $400 billion. IKV Secretary General Assoc. Prof. Nas further indicated that in the area of foreign policy, the issues that concern closely the EU and Turkey are EU Neighbourhood Policy, Turkey’s participation in civil and military crisis management operations within the framework of immigration, security and defence. Furthermore, Nas explained that currently Turkey and the EU lack a common and strategic cooperation within the framework of their respective foreign policies.

Lastly, IKV Deputy Secretary General and Research Director Melih Özsöz explained the legal, political, economic and commercial dimensions of the visa issue in a presentation entitled “Cooperation in the field of immigration and Visa Liberalisation Dialogue between Turkey and the EU”. Özsöz further shared with the participants the results of the Visa Hotline Project which had been realised between 2008 and 2010 in cooperation between IKV and ECAS and with the support of TOBB. Özsöz further pointed out that a new process had started on the 16 December 2013 with the signature of the Turkey-EU Readmission Agreement. Moreover, Özsöz explained the steps that need to be taken by Turkey within the framework of this process. In light of the 72 criteria which are included in the 5 blocks of the Visa Liberalisation Dialogue, Özsöz pointed out that Turkey has fulfilled or is close in fulfilling 22 criteria, it has partially fulfilled 40 criteria and it has not fulfilled at all 10 criteria.