The fourth panel of the series titled “New Perspectives in Turkey-EU Relations” was held at Dokuz Eylül University in İzmir on 28 April 2016 in cooperation of IKV and Friedrich Naumann Foundation.

Following the opening speech of Dokuz Eylül University Graduate School of Social Sciences Head of the Department of European Union Studies Prof. Zeki Erdut regarding the European Commission’s 2015 Progress Report on Turkey, IKV Junior Researcher Büşra Çatır made a presentation of the studies published by IKV on the European Commission Progress Reports entitled “Mathematics of Progress” and “Linguistics of Progress”. During the panel discussion, which was moderated by IKV Project Director Çisel İleri, Izmir University of Economics Faculty of Business Department of Political Science and International Relations Lecturer Assoc. Prof. Çiğdem Kentmen, IKV Secretary-General Assoc. Prof. Çiğdem Nas, Marmara University European Union Institute Head of Department of EU Politics and International Relations Assoc. Prof. Yonca Özer, MEF University Faculty of Economics, Administrative and Social Sciences Department of Political Science and International Relations Lecturer Assoc. Prof. Beken Saatçioğlu and Istanbul Kültür University Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences Department of International Relations Lecturer Assist. Prof. Özge Zihnioğlu discussed the European Commission Progress Reports on Turkey as well as the latest developments in Turkey-EU relations.

Following the presentation on the European Commission’s Progress Reports on Turkey, IKV Project Director Çisel İleri asked the discussants how Turkish authorities and Turkish public should read the Progress Reports. In this respect, the discussants underlined the bias in Turkish public opinion towards the European Commission’s Progress Reports, yet they provide an objective and important insight to the latest developments in the political and economic sphere as well as to Turkey’s performance with regard to alignment with the EU acquis. It was also pointed out that the Progress Reports are closely followed by the European decision-makers through which Turkey could improve its performance with regard to accession negotiations.

In the second round of the panel during which the refugee crisis and its implications on Turkey-EU relations were discussed, the participants underlined that the refugee crisis has changed the balance of Turkey-EU relations as an exogenous factor and that the EU approached Turkey as it remained unable to solve the crisis by itself due to disagreements among the Member States regarding the issue. Reminding that the Turkey-EU Statement of the 18 March and its potential to solve the crisis remain unknown for the time being, the discussants argued that Turkey should ensure the continuity of the dialogue on the basis of the accession negotiations rather than focusing on the short-term gains of the deal.