The fourth panel under the “New Perspectives in Turkey-EU Relations” project organised with the theme “Where are we in Turkey-EU relations and where are we headed?” was held at Yalova University on 31 October 2019 with the financial support of Friedrich Naumann Foundation (FNF). The opening speech of the panel was delivered by IKV Vice Chairman Prof. Halûk Kabaalioğlu. Prof. Erhan Doğan from Marmara University Department of Political Science and International Relations, IKV Secretary General Assoc. Prof. Çiğdem Nas, Asst. Prof. Ebru Turhan from Turkish-German University Department of Political Science and International Relations participated in the panel which was moderated by IKV Research Director Çisel İleri.

In his opening speech, IKV Vice Chairman Prof. Halûk Kabaalioğlu gave information about the history of Turkey and EU relations and the recent situation. Asst. Prof. Ebru Turhan, who was the first speaker of the panel, pointed out the stalemate in Turkey-EU relations and said that the reform packages were successful between 2002 and 2008, but that the reform process has slowed down for political and economic reasons since 2013 and 2014. Moreover, Asst. Prof. Turhan emphasised that in the European Commission’s Turkey Reports, there is emphasis on backsliding rather than hiatus and she pointed out that the Germany- Turkey- EU triangle is crucial.

The second speaker of the panel, IKV Secretary General Assoc. Prof. Çiğdem Nas, pointed out Turkey’s Customs Union process and stated that despite not being an EU member Turkey was in a Customs Union with the EU. She went on to say that Turkish industry and exports had shown a significant change thanks to the Customs Union. However, problems associated with Turkey being outside the EU while being subject to EU’s common trade policy have increased. IKV Secretary General Nas also referred to Brexit. Explaining the reasons behind the Brexit vote, IKV Secretary General Nas indicated that leaving the EU had become a greater challenge for the UK than initially thought.

The final speaker of the panel, Prof. Erhan Doğan, stated that the results of public opinion surveys did not always provide healthy results, and indicated that there were many factors shaping public opinion, especially in the field of foreign policy.