IKV Chairman Ayhan Zeytinoğlu paid an official visit to Brussels on 22-24 November 2017 with the accompanying committee. Within the scope of the visit, a panel entitled “Refugee Cooperation between Turkey and the EU and Turkey’s EU Accession Process” was held at the IKV Brussels Office on 22 November 2017. The opening speeches of the meeting were delivered by IKV Chairman Ayhan Zeytinoğlu, Permanent Delegate of Turkey to the EU Ambassador Faruk Kaymakçı, Deputy Head of Turkey Unit of European Commission Patrick Paquet and Member of the EP Miltiadis Kyrkos. Representatives from the EU institutions including the European Commission, the EP, the European Council and the European External Action Service (EEAS) attended the meeting along with the participants from Brussels based think tanks, NGOs and press.

The experts and researchers from Turkey and the EU touched upon refugee cooperation and Turkey-EU relations. The current conditions of the Syrian population under temporary protection in Turkey, the EU’s contributions and humanitarian funding concerning the refugee crisis and common interests as well as cooperation areas were discussed. At the panel, it was identified that despite some problems, refugee cooperation between Turkey and the EU is under way. It was also highlighted that the main aim of Turkey–EU cooperation should be membership after all.

On the second day of the Brussels visit, IKV Chairman Zeytinoğlu met with authorities from the Turkey Unit of European Commission Directorate-General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations (DG NEAR) and the MEPS.

IKV Chairman Ayhan Zeytinoğlu gave information regarding Turkey’s EU process and highlighted the need for reviving the EU negotiations in line with the aim of full membership. He criticised the EU’s decision to reduce pre-accession funds and noted that the negotiations for the modernisation of the Customs Union could help create a positive agenda between the parties.

IKV Chairman Ayhan Zeytinoğlu also noted that IKV would be organising several events in Brussels along with the other EU capitals in near future. He also highlighted IKV continues intensely to work for Turkey to take the place it deserves within the EU structure.