Turkey’s EU ObservatoryWorking Groups

June 5th 2006Istanbul, 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• 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.

2. 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.

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 membership3. 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 present5. 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 methods7. Topic and location arrangement8. 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

1. Role of religion in society2. Dealing with history 3. Open up beyond elites/capitals. 4. Civil military relations5. 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: • 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:• 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 groups3. Meetings in the countries that will hold

the presidency (in the year before)4. Attract the attention of the media to the

observatory activities5. 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 change4. 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

• 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 CinarWorking Group 2: Andreas Kotelis, Katharina

Ploss & Zeliha Tuzun, Working Group 3: Nurhayat Bilge, Jens Ronn, &

Gul Ceylan, Working Group 4: Alexandru Balas & Isil IsmetWorking Group 5: Kayhan Yildirim, Aysegul

Keskin, Athina Giannaki

M.A. Students in the Conflict Analysis & Resolution Program, Sabanci University, IstanbulProfessors: 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