IKV hosted a seminar entitled “Institutional and Legal Regulations in the Process of the Modernisation of the Turkey-EU Customs Union” with collaboration of İstanbul Bar Association on 11 November 2017. The opening speeches of the seminar were delivered by IKV Secretary General Assoc. Prof. Çiğdem Nas and EU Law Commission Co-Chairman of İstanbul Bar Association Cem Murat Sofuoğlu.

The moderator of the seminar’s first session was IKV Vice Chairman Prof. Dr. Halûk Kabaalioğlu. At the beginning of the session, IKV Brussels Representative Haluk Nuray recited the chronological perspective of the actualisation process of Turkey-EU Customs Union. Ankara University ATAUM Director Prof. Dr. Sanem Baykal stressed on a probable monitoring system that would enable functioning of the dispute settlement mechanism by touching upon the legal framework of the Customs Union. The EU Law Commission Co-Chairman Sofuoğlu stated during his speech that in addition to the modernisation of the Customs Union, legal infrastructure should be modified as well.

The second session proceeded by the moderation of the EU Law Commission Co-Chairman of İstanbul Bar Association, Ertuğrul Yeşilaltay. Ministry of Economy’s DG for the EU Affairs Deputy Director General Fatma Canan Nilüfer Dora made a presentation regarding the modernisation process of the Customs Union. Then, IKV Strategy and Business Development Director M. Gökhan Kilit touched upon the impacts of the prospected modernisation process on the agricultural sector. Seyhan Paksoy from the EU Law Commission of İstanbul Bar Association underlined both the level to which Turkish industry has come and the importance of production and exportation. The seminar concluded with the final remarks of IKV Secretary General Assoc. Prof. Çiğdem Nas.