Turkey and the European Union
Common Interests or Divergent Paths?

Half-a-day seminar on issues of interest
And current developments in Turkey-EU relations

Monday 30th May 2016, 1-6 p.m.
Library of the University of Amsterdam, Doelenzaal
Singel 425, 1012 WP Amsterdam

Jointly organized by
IKV-İktisadi Kalkınma Vakfı and ACELG, the Amsterdam Centre for European Law and Governance

Background Information:

Turkey has been a candidate to join the EU since 1999 and negotiating accession to the Union since 2005. However negotiations have still not been concluded due to problems related to the Cyprus conflict, the EU’s enlargement fatigue and slowdown of EU-induced reforms in Turkey. Relations have been re-energized recently over the refugee deal agreed between the two sides which concern the readmission of irregular migrants by Turkey and increased EU assistance for Syrian refugees residing in the country. The visa liberalisation process for Turkish citizens has been accelerated with a view to a June 2016 target date which induced far-reaching reforms in the country in order to fulfil the 72 criteria stipulated in the visa liberalisation roadmap. Turkey’s EU membership perspective, however, still remains uncertain due to the slow pace of accession negotiations, political problems in Turkey and the EU’s ambiguous approach to Turkey’s European vocation. The seminar will host speakers from academia and civil society with extensive expertise on EU and Turkey relations. The aim of the seminar is to contribute to debates about the current state of Turkey’s EU perspective with an emphasis on the accession process and association regime as well as ongoing areas of cooperation between the two sides, i.e. the updating of the customs union, agreement on refugee action plan and visa liberalisation process.

Note: Registration is required for the seminar. Please send an e-mail containing your name, title and institutional affiliation to the below e-mail address until 25 May 2016: cnas@ikv.org.tr

SEMINAR PROGRAMME

13:00 – 13:30 Opening Speeches

Prof. Dr. Tom Eijsbouts, University of Amsterdam

Ayhan Zeytinoğlu, Chairman of IKV, President of Kocaeli Chamber of Industry

Moderator: Prof. Dr. Halûk Kabaalioğlu, Vice-Chairman of IKV and Dean of School of Law, Yeditepe University, Jean Monnet Professor of EU Law

13:30 – 14:45

Modernization of the Turkey-EU Customs Union: Building a Stronger Trade, Investment and Competition Law Partnership

• Prof. Dr. Vilenas Vadapalas, formerly Judge at the European Court of Justice, formerly Professor at University of Vilnius
• Assoc. Prof. Dr. Katalin Cseres, ACELG
• Assoc. Prof. Dr. Sait Akman, TEPAV, Center for Multilateral Trade Studies, Director of G20 Studies Center

14:45 – 15:00 Coffee break

15:00 – 16:00

Pending Issues in Turkey-EU Relations: Accession Negotiations and Recent Developments in the Association Regime

• Assoc. Prof. Dr Thomas Vandamme & Assoc. Prof. Dr Ronald van Ooik, ACELG
• Prof. Dr. Sanem Baykal, University of Ankara, Director of Ankara University European Research Center (ATAUM)

16:00 – 17:00

Turkey-EU Joint Action Plan: Building a Common Approach to the Refugee Crisis

• Assoc. Prof. Dr. Çiğdem Nas, IKV Secretary-General, Vice-Chair of the Department of Political Science and International Relations at the Yildiz Technical University
• Dr. Demir Murat Seyrek, European Foundation for Democracy, Senior Policy Advisor

17:00-18:00

Q&A and closing of the seminar