IKV held a meeting titled “The Global System and Europe Towards 2030: The Future of Türkiye-EU Relations”, as part of its Diplomacy-Civil Society meetings on 23 January 2026.

The keynote speaker at the meeting was retired Ambassador Rauf Engin Soysal, former Undersecretary of the Ministry of European Union Affairs. Ambassador Soysal pointed out that in an environment where global power balances are shifting, Europe is now seeking full independence rather than autonomy vis-à-vis the US, and that there has been a change in mindset in transatlantic relations. Emphasizing that 2026 will be a critical threshold for Türkiye, Ambassador Soysal stated that the NATO Summit, COP31, and the Summit of the Organization of Turkic States, which Türkiye will host, as well as the European Political Community Summit to be held in Yerevan, are important in terms of regional balances. Assessing the future of Türkiye-EU relations, Ambassador Soysal stressed that the reform process is essential not only for EU membership but also for the welfare of the Turkish people and the elevation of the rule of law standards, and that geopolitical developments should not overshadow the need for reform.

The panel titled “Key Issues in Türkiye-EU Relations Towards 2030,” chaired by IKV Vice Chairman Prof. Halûk Kabaalioğlu and the speakers were IKV Secretary General Assoc. Prof.  Çiğdem Nas and IKV Deputy Secretary General M. Gökhan Kilit.

The first speaker on the panel IKV Deputy Secretary General M. Gökhan Kilit addressed the historical development, economic impact, need for updating, and new global challenges facing the customs union, which is the most concrete and transformative element of Türkiye-EU relations. Deputy Secretary General Kilit stated that the process had started with a structure that had a foreign trade deficit, but today Türkiye had become a net exporter in the EU market, with trade volume increasing sixfold and exports increasing tenfold. Deputy Secretary General Kilit stated that the current customs union structure was designed according to the conditions of 30 years ago and is insufficient to meet the needs of today's trade, adding that developments such as the European Green Deal and “Made in Europe” threaten the gains of the customs union in the current situation. Emphasizing that updating the customs union is not an alternative to EU membership but rather a complement to it, Deputy Secretary General Kilit stated that Türkiye needs to return to its reform agenda to both revitalize political relations and maintain its economic competitiveness.

The second speaker on the panel IKV Secretary General Assoc. Prof. Çiğdem Nas, emphasized that the EU is focusing on its twin transformation goals amid uncertainties in transatlantic relations and China's aggressive competition, and that Türkiye cannot afford to delay adapting to this process because it will fundamentally change global trade norms. Assoc. Prof. Nas warned that the slow pace of establishing the Emissions Trading System would lead to a transfer of resources from Türkiye to the EU through the CBAM, noting that the EU is trying to address its gaps in defence and innovation based on the Draghi Report. Assoc. Prof. Nas stated that Türkiye could be part of the EU security architecture with its defence industry potential at a time when the expansion policy is gaining momentum, but that the current crisis of confidence is complicating institutional cooperation. He added that updating the customs union is essential for the future of relations, but that political issues must be overcome for the process to begin.