IKV in cooperation with Istanbul Bilgi University organized a seminar entitled “Turkey-EU Cooperation along the Axis of Refugee Crisis: Opportunities & Challenges” to discuss different dimensions of the refugee crisis and Turkey-EU relations. The seminar took place at Istanbul Bilgi University Santralistanbul campus Energy Museum.

The seminar began with a presentation of IKV Junior Researcher Ahmet Ceran who presented the latest developments concerning the Turkey-EU refugee deal and the visa liberalization dialogue. After the presentation, distinguished panelists from academia, civil society and experts in this field; Director of Istanbul Bilgi University European Institute Prof. Ayhan Kaya, Director of Hacettepe University Migration and Politics Research Center Assoc. Prof. Murat Erdoğan, IKV Secretary-General Assoc. Prof. Çiğdem Nas, UNHCR Livehoods Officer for Turkey and the MENA Region Damla Taşkın shared their points of view and made an assessment of the situation.

The panel session started with Assoc. Prof. Murat Erdoğan’s comments. Erdoğan touched upon the root causes by retracing the historical background of the refugee crisis and pointed out to Turkey’s lack of efficient policies in tackling the arising challenges. Erdoğan stressed that the refugees should be considered as a permanent part of the Turkish society and thus highlighted the importance of facilitating the refugees’ integration to the society. Lastly, he addressed the weaknesses of Turkey-EU refugee deal.

Prof. Dr. Ayhan Kaya started his speech dealing and deconstructing the conceptual framework of the refugee crisis and its effects on Turkey-EU relations and the visa liberalization dialogue. Then Prof. Dr. Kaya explored the relation of Turkey’s migration management policies with “nation state notion” and Islamic fundamentals. To that end Prof. Kaya compared and observed past migration flows and explained the importance of the role played by the civil society.

After the intense and extensive remarks of Prof. Dr. Kaya, Damla Taşkın shared her comments regarding the economic integration of the refugees to the labor market as a “source from the field”. Subsequent to an introduction regarding the leading role of UNHCR, she discussed different dimensions of current situation regarding the employment, education and integration of Syrian refugees. Then she presented a future prospect addressing best case practices, main problems and possible solutions.

Lastly IKV Secretary-General Assoc. Prof. Çiğdem Nas presented the general framework and problematic elements of the visa liberalization dialogue as well as its relation with the refugee deal. She drew attention to the dialogue and cooperation opportunity the refugee deal has created between Turkey and the EU. Assoc. Prof. Nas emphasized the need to extend this dialogue and cooperation to other layers of Turkey-EU relations. At the end of her speech Assoc. Prof. Nas touched upon the future of Turkey-EU relations in connection with the refugee crisis and touched upon alternative integration models discussed among the EU circles.