IKV Secretary General Assoc. Prof. Çiğdem Nas delivered a speech on the modernisation of Turkey-EU Customs Union which makes up the content of the article she wrote in the publication entitled “Turkey and Transatlantic Relations”. The edited book was published in cooperation with The Foundation for Political, Economic and Social Research (SETA) and The Centre for Transatlantic Relations at Johns Hopkins University and the event took place at SETA Istanbul Office.

During her speech, Assoc. Prof. Çiğdem Nas mentioned that the modernisation of the Customs Union became urgency after the launch of TTIP negotiations. Yet, she noted that the need for the modernisation of the Customs Union continues even though TTIP negotiations are currently in deep freeze. IKV Secretary General reminded that after the completion of Turkey-EU Customs Union which is the complementary dimension of the Association Agreement between Turkey and the EU; expectation for Turkey’s EU membership has been in a rise.

IKV Secretary General Nas denoted that some provisions of the Association Council Decisions concerning the Customs Union have been constituting a number of issues. Nas also drew attention to the need of expanding the Customs Union’s scope paying close attention to the changes in global trade. In this regard, she highlighted that modernisation of the Customs Union is one of the phenomenal areas which could bring dynamism to Turkey-EU relations during these times that issues such as the deadlock of the negotiation process and problems with some EU Member States are apparent.

Reminding the high expectations in 2017 concerning the start of the negotiations on modernisation of the Customs Union, Nas expressed that the process was obstructed due to the referendum process in Turkey, crises with some member countries and the lack of normalisation in Turkey-EU relations. IKV Secretary General Nas then stated that the launch of Customs Unions modernisation negotiations until 2019 would be a low possibility. She added, the on-going debate towards transforming the Customs Union to a FTA would move Turkey-EU relations on to a different frame.

IKV Secretary General gave information concerning the scope of the modernisation of the Customs Union. She claimed that the process would embrace non-working aspects of the Customs Union along with the Customs Union’s extension in a way to cover agriculture, services and public procurement sectors. Although the modernisation process would be challenging, this would be an important chance, IKV Secretary General said.