Turkeys EU Observatory Working Groups

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Turkeys EU ObservatoryWorking Groups

• June 5th 2006
• Istanbul, Turkey

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Turkeys EU Membership Observatory

• Sixth Annual Meeting, held at Conrad Hotel in
  Istanbul, 26 May 2006
• President of Observatory Professor Ahmet Evin,
  Istanbul Policy Center, Sabanci University
• Working Groups coordinated by Professor Benjamin
  Broome, Arizona State University, Visiting
  Faculty Sabanci University
• Working Groups facilitated by MA students in
  Sabanci Universitys Conflict Analysis and
  Resolution Program

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Working Group Process

• Observatory participants were assigned to one of
  five working groups
• Each group generated a list of suggested topics
  for consideration by the Observatory in future
  meetings
• Each group selected the top five issues from
  their list
• Each group proposed activities that would be
  appropriate for addressing these issues

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Working Group 1
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Working Group 1 Key Issues

• Scepticism within the EU public opinion about
  Turkey.
• Scepticism within Turkish public opinion about
  EU.
• Implication of ESDP on Turkish Foreign and
  Security policies.
• Turkeys role in Neighborhood issues.
• Turkeys role in Justice and Home Affairs
  (Internal security).

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Working Group 1 - Proposed Activities

• Skepticism Issue
• Conducting and funding public opinion surveys /
  polls. Using existing ones.
• Moderated discussion between elites from each
  side.
• Structures of EU member states to deal with
  scepticism.
• Security Issue
• Bringing retired military officers in the
  observatory. (Cooperating with Turkish think
  tanks where retired officers serve)
• Increased Turkish participation in CFSP related
  official meetings.
• Collaboration with institutions in EU and TR.
  (Policy papers on security issues)
• Using the internet to make the process more
  visible.

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Working Group 1 - Participants

• H.E. Carlos Fernandez Arias, Foreign Affairs
  Ministry of Spain, Madrid
• Ambassador Temel Iskit (ret.), Senior Associate,
  Istanbul Policy Center, Istanbul
• Ambassador Henrik Lilijegren (ret.), Senior
  Associate, Istanbul Policy Center, Istanbul
  Former Swedish Ambassador to Turkey
• Mr. Krzysztof Bobinski, The Polish Institute of
  International Affairs, Warsaw
• Mr. Alan Dukes, Director General, Institute of
  European Affairs, Dublin
• Prof. Atila Eralp, Center for European Studies,
  Middle East Technical University, Ankara

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Working Group 2
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Working Group 2 Key Issues

• The judical system in TR is critical both to
  meeting political criteria and to attracting FDI
  etc. How does the functioning of the judical
  system compare with EU norms. ADR methods?
• Migration and prospects of TRs EU membership
• What role can EU and European experiences play in
  addressing TRs west-east development gap? Which
  experiences from other unitary EU states with
  administrative dcentracisation are relevant?
• Reading history and how this affects the present
• The Kurdish question and EU accession process
• Public perceptions of Turkeys membership in EU
  both in the EU(difficult) and in Turkey (more
  feasible). How have public perceptions in Turkey
  changed?
• Why is TRs public diplomacy in EU member states
  so weak? What can be learned from Romanian,
  Polish or other efforts to improve initially
  negative images?

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Working Group 2 - Proposed Activities

• Setting up small groups within the context of a
  big conference
• Separate meetings in addition to the annual
  meeting
• Invite judicial professionals top sociologists of
  Law.
• Cooperate with another institution.
• Inviting quasi officials.
• Invite sociologists working with qualitative and
  quantitative methods
• Topic and location arrangement
• Observatory maps out other initiatives. It has
  to use existing knowledge.
• Continuation from one conference to the next.
• Identify a core group for the observatory

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Working Group 2 - Participants

• Mr. Gerald Knaus, President of the Executive
  Board, European Stability Initiative, Berlin and
  Istanbul
• Prof. Udo Steinbach, Director, German Institute
  for Middle East Studies, Hamburg
• Dr. Othon Anastasakis, Director, South East
  European Studies Program, Oxford
• Prof. Ali Karaosmanoglu, Chair, Institute of
  Economics and Social Sciences, Bilkent
  University, Ankara
• Prof. Refik Erzan, Economist, Bogaziçi
  University, Istanbul
• Prof. Carl Baudenbacher, President, Court of
  Justice of the European Free Trade Association,
  Luxembourg
• Mr. Gareth Jenkins, Journalist, Istanbul
• Ms. Aydan Piker, AB Consult

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Working Group 3
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Working Group 3 Key Issues

• Role of religion in society
• Dealing with history
• Open up beyond elites/capitals.
• Civil military relations
• Intergrating migrants

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Working Group 3 - Proposed Activities

• Create a closed internet dialogue/ discussion
  Space.
• Involving students, young opinion leaders, civil
  organizations
• Getting out to the Turkish European provinces
• More representative spread (e.g., bring in
  nationalists)

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Working Group 3 - Participants

• H.E. Willem van Hasselt, Ministry of Foreign
  Affaris, The Hague
• Mr. Alain Servantie, Head of Unit of the
  Information, Communication and Inter-Institutional
  Relations, European Commission DG Enlargement,
  Brussels
• Ms. Paulina Lampsa, International Secretary,
  Pan-Hellenic Socialist Movement, Athens
• Dr. Anders Mellbourn, Former Director, Swedish
  Institute of International Affairs, Stockholm
• Ms. Katinka Barysch, Chief Economist, Center for
  European Reform, London
• Prof. Giacomo Luciani, Co-Director, Mediterranean
  Program, Robert Schuman Center of Advanced
  Studies, European University Institute, Florence
• Prof. Kemal Kirisçi, Chair, Department of
  International Relations, Bogaziçi University,
  Istanbul
• Dr. Norbert Kostka, E.ON Energie AG, Germany
• Mr. Paul Taylor, European Affairs Editor,
  Reuters, Brussels
• Dr. Cengiz Aktar, President, European Office at
  Bahçesehir University, Istanbul

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Working Group 4
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Working Group 4 Key Issues

• Turkeys administrative capacity
• Adopt legislation (Parlimentary Commitees,
  Consensus)
• Prepare for negotiations of individual chapters
• Absorb and manage EU funds (i.e. Staff, training,
  planning)
• EU Budget (CAP, Cohesion Policy, Own Resources)

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Working Group 4 Key Issues (Continued)

• Target Problems
• Countries (France, Austria)
• Issues (Islam, Size, Human Rights)
• Media Coverage/Public opinion in TR and the EU
• Increase in-depth academic exchange
• Convince those hostile to Turkish membership to
  actively participate

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Working Group 4 - Proposed Activities

• Look for Partners (academia, business,
  Think-tanks, NGOs) to bring and disseminate
  inter-disciplinary approaches to the debate
• Lobbying focusing on the target groups
• Meetings in the countries that will hold the
  presidency (in the year before)
• Attract the attention of the media to the
  observatory activities
• To bring continuity to the observatory, making
  permanent contributions (internet, web-page for
  the observatory)

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Working Group 4 - Participants

• Ambassador Michael Lake (ret.), Former European
  Union Ambassador to Turkey and to Hungary
• Ambassador Ilter Türkmen (ret.), Former Minister
  of Foreign Affairs, Istanbul
• Ms. Helena Olivan, Euro-Mediterranean Relations
  Director, European Institute of the
  Mediterranean, Barcelona,
• Prof. Peter Balazs, International Relations
  Department (IRES), CEU and Director of the Center
  for EU Enlargement Studies (CENS)
• Mr. Bülent Mutlu, E.ON Energie AG, Germany
• Dr. Isik Ozel, University of Washington
• Mr. Norbert Walter, Chief Economist, Deutsche
  Bank

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Working Group 5
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Working Group 5 Key Issues

• Monitoring the negotiation process and making
  policy recommendations
• Process of Democratization and Consolidation in
  Turkey and EU Threats and Opportunities
• History, cultural heritage and change
• Demography and migration (High and Low growth
  alternatives)
• Regional and Domestic Developments How do they
  affect the accession process?

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Working Group 5 - Proposed Activities

• More frequent single-issue meetings in order to
  produce policy papers to send to the EU
  commission
• Small workshops with specific participants to
  develop reports
• Produce publications
• Meeting in Brussels
• Choose the contemporary issues

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Working Group 5 - Participants

• Sir David Logan, Director, Centre for Studies in
  Security and Diplomacy, University of Birmingham,
  and former British Ambassador to Turkey
• Prof. Ersin Kalaycioglu, Rector, Isik University,
  Istanbul
• Prof. Ferenc Miszlivetz, Director, Institute for
  Social and European Studies, Szombathely
• Mr. Philippos Savvides, Research Fellow,
  Institute for Strategic and Development Studies,
  Athens
• Prof. Giorgio Dominese, Coordinator, Central and
  Eastern European University Network, Transition
  Studies World Applied Research Professor of
  Economy, Finance and Policy of Transitions, State
  University of Udine
• Prof. Robert Picht, Vice-Rector, European
  Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies Director,
  European General Studies Department, College of
  Europe, Warsaw
• Prof. Ahmet Evin, Istanbul Policy Center, Sabanci
  University, Istanbul
• Ms. Mayte Peters, PhD Student, University of St.
  Gallen, St. Gallen
• Mr. Vincent Boland, Ankara Bureau Chief,
  Financial Times, Ankara

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Facilitation Team
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Facilitation Teams

• Working Group 1 Ibrahim Aytac Anli Seda Cinar
• Working Group 2 Andreas Kotelis, Katharina Ploss
  Zeliha Tuzun,
• Working Group 3 Nurhayat Bilge, Jens Ronn, Gul
  Ceylan,
• Working Group 4 Alexandru Balas Isil Ismet
• Working Group 5 Kayhan Yildirim, Aysegul Keskin,
  Athina Giannaki

M.A. Students in the Conflict Analysis
Resolution Program, Sabanci University,
Istanbul Professors Nimet Beriker, Betul Celik,
Esra Cuhadar Gurkaynak, Benjamin Broome (Arizona
State University, Visiting Faculty)
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Conference Team

• Conference Coordinator Christina Bache
• Logistics Coordinator Zeynep Okan
• Conference Assistants Nilden Kireçtepe, Ebru
  Kutlualp, Ezgi Sayan
• Report of Working Groups Benjamin Broome