Minister for EU Affairs and Chief Negotiator, Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu; Head of the EU Delegation to Turkey, Ambassador Stefano Manservisi; and Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Mayor, Kadir Topbaş came together in the Ramadan iftar dinner organized by IKV and they discussed Turkey’s EU accession process.

Coming together for a Ramadan iftar dinner which was organized by IKV on 9th July 2014 in Istanbul, Minister for EU Affairs and Chief Negotiator, Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu; Head of the EU Delegation to Turkey, Ambassador Stefano Manservisi and Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Mayor, Kadir Topbaş emphasized the importance of the participation of the whole society in Turkey’s EU accession process.

Emphasizing that the main goal of Turkey’s foreign policy is to join EU, Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu ensured that the government was working intensively for Turkey’s EU accession. Within this framework, he gave the example of the entry into force of the 5th and 6th Judicial Reform Package. He also pointed out that Turkey established a new platform aiming at preventing the violation of human rights. But he stressed the importance of opening Chapters 23 and 24 to negotiations in order to make further progress on human rights issue. Minister Çavuşoğlu ensured that there were many working groups and sub-committees that are currently working intensively to open these two chapters.

Nevertheless Minister Çavuşoğlu also insisted that the political setbacks of some EU Member States should not slow down Turkey’s EU accession negotiations. Minister Çavuşoğlu also noted that the Turkish government was currently working to open Chapter 19 (“Social Policy and Employment”). In regard to this chapter, reminding the role of labor unions, Minister Çavuşoğlu also emphasized that the "branch of work threshold" will be reduced to 1 percent by new law.

Minister Çavuşoğlu pointed out that Turkish economy made a good progress over the past few years. He stated that Turkey gave an impetus to the Reform Monitoring Group’s meetings in order to determine which reforms and new legislation that Turkey needed. Çavuşoğlu also pointed out to the visa problems encountered by Turkish citizens. Minister Çavuşoğlu also stated that they are willing to revise the Customs Union and also pointed out that Turkey does not want to be left out from the TTIP negotiations conduceted by EU and the USA.

During his speech as the host of the iftar dinner, IKV Chairman Ömer Cihad Vardan, shared his optimism with the new appointed Head of EU Delegation to Turkey and the beginning of Italian Presidency of the Council of the EU and stressed the importance of the newly formed European Parliament, and the new commissioner to be assigned for Turkey’s EU accession process.

Head of EU Delegation to Turkey, Ambassador Stefano Manservisi, mentioned the transformation of the European Union into a more democratic entity. Ambassador Manservisi underlined the fact that the Union’s aim is not to build a strong super-state but to ensure peace and diversity, and that Turkish people are already part of this entity.

In his speech, Mayor of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, Kadir Topbaş, pointed out to the struggle carried out by Turkish citizens in becoming part of the EU. Thus, he expressed his wish that the EU will support Turkey in this path by opening new chapters to negotiation.

Along with  Minister for EU Affairs and Chief Negotiator  Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, Head of the EU Delegation to Turkey, and the Mayor of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, members of IKV Board of Directors, President of Istanbul Chamber of Industry (ISO) Erdal Bahçıvan, President of Turkish Exporters’ Assembly (TIM) Mehmet Büyükekşi,, President of Independent Industrialists and Businessmen’s’ Association (MÜSIAD) Nail Optak,, President of International Transporters Association (UND) Çetin Nuhoğlu, and former IKV Chairman Jak Kamhi,, have also participated to the iftar dinner. U.S. Consul General Charles Hunter has also participated to the dinner together with Consul Generals of 12 EU Member States including Germany, Belgium, Romania, Croatia, the Netherlands, and Bulgaria.