In cooperation with Friedrich Naumann Foundation and EuroPolitika, IKV organised a panel entitled "Turkish-German Relations and Implications for the EU Process". To the panel of which moderatorship was undertaken by IKV Vice-Chairman Prof. Halûk Kabaalioğlu, Istanbul Bilgi University International Relations Professor and Jean Monnet Chair for European Politics of Interculturalism Ayhan Kaya, Senior Fellow at Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik (SWP) Günter Seufert and Senior Advisor to the Chairman from Corporate and Government Affairs at Eczacıbaşı Holding Devrim Çubukçu attended as panelists.

The first speaker of the panel Prof. Ayhan Kaya gave short information regarding the approaches defining populism and shared the reasons behind the strengthening of populist discourses in the case of Alternative für Deutschland (AfD). The second panellist Günter Seufert expressed the fact although Turkey accounts for an important place in German foreign policy; German society is divided into two parts which makes the government to pursue an impartial policy difficult. By underlining the significance of the last Germany visit of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Seufert touched also upon the recent positive attitude in Turkey-Germany relations. Lastly, he shared his hope regarding the emergence of a rational atmosphere after the EP elections in May 2019.

The last speaker of the panel Devrim Çubukçu emphasised the fact that the world has been witnessing important developments such as the rivalry between the US and China which makes the world go to a multipolar direction. In such a world, Çubukçu stated that Turkey stands as a bridge between east and west. By collaborating regions and countries outside the EU in politics and economics, Turkey was indicated to make its foreign policy multidimensional. Devrim Çubukçu mentioned also briefly the modernisation of the Customs Union by saying that this is a win-win situation for both Turkey and the EU, so Germany should support the process. The panel ended up with Q&A session.