Transcript Turkey’s EU Observatory Working Groups

Turkey’s EU Observatory
Working Groups
June 5th 2006
Istanbul, Turkey
Turkey’s 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 University’s Conflict Analysis and
Resolution Program
Working Group Process
1. Observatory participants were assigned
to one of five working groups
2. Each group generated a list of
suggested topics for consideration by
the Observatory in future meetings
3. Each group selected the top five issues
from their list
4. Each group proposed activities that
would be appropriate for addressing
these issues
Working Group 1
Working Group 1 – Key Issues
1. Scepticism within the EU public opinion
about Turkey.
2. Scepticism within Turkish public
opinion about EU.
3. Implication of ESDP on Turkish Foreign
and Security policies.
4. Turkey’s role in Neighborhood issues.
5. Turkey’s role in Justice and Home
Affairs (Internal security).
Working Group 1 - Proposed Activities
1.
Skepticism Issue
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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
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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.
Working Group 1 - Participants
• H.E. Carlos Fernandez Arias, Foreign Affairs Ministry
of Spain, Madrid
• Ambassador Temel İskit (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
Working Group 2
Working Group 2 – Key Issues
1. 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?
2. Migration and prospects of TR’s EU membership
3. What role can EU and European experiences play in
addressing TR’s west-east development gap? Which
experiences from other unitary EU states with administrative
dcentracisation are relevant?
4. Reading history and how this affects the present
5. The Kurdish question and EU accession process
6. Public perceptions of Turkey’s membership in EU both in the
EU(difficult) and in Turkey (more feasible). How have public
perceptions in Turkey changed?
7. Why is TR’s public diplomacy in EU member states so weak?
What can be learned from Romanian, Polish or other efforts
to improve initially negative images?
Working Group 2 - Proposed Activities
1. Setting up small groups within the context of a big
conference
2. Separate meetings in addition to the annual
meeting
3. Invite judicial professionals top sociologists of Law.
4. Cooperate with another institution.
5. Inviting quasi officials.
6. Invite sociologists working with qualitative and
quantitative methods
7. Topic and location arrangement
8. Observatory maps out other initiatives. It has to
use existing knowledge.
9. Continuation from one conference to the next.
10. Identify a core group for the observatory
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 Karaosmanoğlu, Chair, Institute of Economics
and Social Sciences, Bilkent University, Ankara
• Prof. Refik Erzan, Economist, Boğaziçi 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
Working Group 3
Working Group 3 – Key Issues
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Role of religion in society
Dealing with history
Open up beyond elites/capitals.
Civil military relations
Intergrating migrants
Working Group 3 - Proposed Activities
1. Create a closed internet dialogue/
discussion Space.
2. Involving students, young opinion
leaders, civil organizations
3. Getting out to the Turkish & European
provinces
4. More representative spread (e.g., bring
in nationalists)
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 Kirişçi, Chair, Department of International Relations,
Boğaziçi 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 Bahçeşehir
University, Istanbul
Working Group 4
Working Group 4 – Key Issues
1. Turkey’s administrative capacity:
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Adopt legislation (Parlimentary
Commitees, Consensus)
Prepare for negotiations of individual
chapters
Absorb and manage EU funds (i.e. Staff,
training, planning)
2. EU Budget (CAP, Cohesion Policy, Own
Resources)
Working Group 4 – Key Issues (Continued)
3. Target Problems:
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Countries (France, Austria)
Issues (Islam, Size, Human Rights)
Media Coverage/Public opinion in TR and
the EU
4. Increase in-depth academic exchange
5. Convince those hostile to Turkish
membership to actively participate
Working Group 4 - Proposed Activities
1. Look for Partners (academia, business,
Think-tanks, NGOs) to bring and disseminate
inter-disciplinary approaches to the debate
2. Lobbying focusing on the target groups
3. Meetings in the countries that will hold the
presidency (in the year before)
4. Attract the attention of the media to the
observatory activities
5. To bring continuity to the observatory,
making permanent contributions (internet,
web-page for the observatory)
Working Group 4 - Participants
• Ambassador Michael Lake (ret.), Former European
Union Ambassador to Turkey and to Hungary
• Ambassador İlter 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
Working Group 5
Working Group 5 – Key Issues
1. Monitoring the negotiation process and
making policy recommendations
2. Process of Democratization and
Consolidation in Turkey and EU: Threats and
Opportunities
3. History, cultural heritage and change
4. Demography and migration (High and Low
growth alternatives)
5. Regional and Domestic Developments: How
do they affect the accession process?
Working Group 5 - Proposed Activities
1. More frequent single-issue meetings in
order to produce policy papers to send
to the EU commission
2. Small workshops with specific
participants to develop reports
3. Produce publications
4. Meeting in Brussels
5. Choose the contemporary issues
Working Group 5 - Participants
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Sir David Logan, Director, Centre for Studies in Security and Diplomacy,
University of Birmingham, and former British Ambassador to Turkey
Prof. Ersin Kalaycıoğlu, Rector, Isık 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, Sabancı University, Istanbul
Ms. Mayte Peters, PhD Student, University of St. Gallen, St. Gallen
Mr. Vincent Boland, Ankara Bureau Chief, Financial Times, Ankara
Facilitation Team
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)
Conference Team
•Conference Coordinator: Christina Bache
•Logistics Coordinator: Zeynep Okan
•Conference Assistants: Nilden Kireçtepe, Ebru
Kutlualp, Ezgi Sayan
•Report of Working Groups: Benjamin Broome