On October 15, 2018, Bodrum (Turkey) hosted an expert meeting on relations between Turkey and the European Union and the changing priorities of Turkish foreign policy. The round table gathered about 40 representatives from leading analytical centers of Turkey, Italy, Germany, France, Spain, the Netherlands, Belgium, Great Britain, the USA, as well as Ministries of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan and Georgia. Timur Makhmutov, RIAC Deputy Director of Programs, represented Russia at the event.
On October 15, 2018, Bodrum (Turkey) hosted an expert meeting on relations between Turkey and the European Union and the changing priorities of Turkish foreign policy. The round table gathered about 40 representatives from leading analytical centers of Turkey, Italy, Germany, France, Spain, the Netherlands, Belgium, Great Britain, the USA, as well as Ministries of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan and Georgia. Timur Makhmutov, RIAC Deputy Director of Programs, represented Russia at the event.
The round table was organized by the Italian International Affairs Institute (IAI) and Centre for Economics and Foreign Policy Studies (EDAM), the topic of the meeting was stated as follows: "Game (Not) Over: Mapping Dynamics and Testing Scenarios in EU-Turkey relations in a Global Perspective." In conjunction with the event, a group of experts from IAI and EDAM prepared a draft report “The Future of EU-Turkey Relations: convergence, cooperation or conflict”, implemented within the framework of the FEUTURE project (The Future of EU-Turkey Relations).
In the course of the following discussion several groups of issues that significantly affect the possibilities for multi-level cooperation between the EU and Turkey were pointed out. The promising areas for constructive interaction between the parties include energy sector, solution of the visa issue for highly qualified citizens of Turkey, development of the dialogue on migration issues, defining effective format for economic cooperation.
The issues that significantly affect the polarization of Turkish-European relations include Turkey’s position in NATO and security in Europe and the Eastern Mediterranean, the prospects for Turkey’s full membership in the EU, the role of Islam in modern society, comprehension of effective government and human rights. Part of the discussion focused on Russia and Turkey rapprochement. The lack of positive agenda from the EU regarding each of the countries was noted as one of the preconditions.
The discussion showed the importance of expert dialogue in the formation of a more comprehensive understanding of the processes occurring both in relations between EU and its neighbors and within the Union itself.
