FEUTURE The Future of EU-Turkey Relations: Mapping Dynamics and Testing Scenarios

Kick-off Conference

Date: May 26, 2016
Time: 14.30-19.30
Place: santralistanbul Campus

The conference is organized by İstanbul Bilgi University European Institute.

FEUTURE is the largest research project on EU-Turkey relations the European Commission has funded so far, the relevance of which has once again been highlighted by current affairs. Hence, the aim of FEUTURE’s research is to reveal the narratives and drivers of the EU-Turkey relationship, the likely scenario(s) for the future, and the implications these may have on the EU and Turkey, as well as the neighbourhood and the global scene. FEUTURE is coordinated by Dr. Nathalie Tocci, Deputy Director of Istituto Affari Internazionali and Special Adviser to EU HRVP Federica Mogherini and Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Wessels, Director of the Centre for Turkey and European Union Studies at the University of Cologne. The FEUTURE consortium consists of 13 renowned universities and think tanks from the EU, Turkey and the neighbourhood.

The conference aims to debate FEUTURE’s research design as well as related current developments of EU-Turkey relations from different perspectives. Following the Welcome and Introduction as well as a Keynote Speech by H.E. Ambassador Rauf Engin Soysal, Undersecretary of the Ministry for EU Affairs, we will discuss the FEUTURE scenarios and narratives together with renowned experts and members of the project’s Advisory Board. Enclosed you may find the agenda for further information.

For participation, please send an e-mail to asli.aydin@bilgi.edu.tr

PROGRAM:

14.30 – 15.00      Registration

15.00 – 15.30      Welcome and Introduction
Prof. Dr. Mehmet Durman (Rector of Istanbul Bilgi University)
Dr. Nathalie Tocci (Scientific Coordinator, Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Wessels, Project Coordinator)

15.30 – 16.30      Keynote Speech
H.E. Ambassador Rauf Engin Soysal (Undersecretary of the Ministry for EU Affairs)

16.30 – 16.45      Coffee

16.45 – 18.00      FEUTURE Scenarios
Chair: Dr. Funda Tekin (Project Director (CETEUS, University of Cologen, CIFE))
Speaker: Dr. Nathalie Tocci (Scientific Coordinator and Co-Leader of Work Package 1, (IAI))
Comments from the FEUTURE Advisory Board:
Andrew Duff (Visiting Fellow, European Policy Centre; Liberal MEP 1999-2014)
Nilgün Arisan Eralp (EU Director, Economic Policy Research Foundation of Turkey (TEPAV))
Prof. Dr. Ronald H. Linden (University of Pittsburgh)

18.00 – 18.15      Coffee

18.15 – 19.30      History of EU-Turkey relations / Narratives
Chair: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Senem Aydin-Düzgit (İstanbul Bilgi University)
Speaker: Prof. Dr. Atila Eralp (METU)
Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Wessels (Project Coordinator and Co-Leader of Work Package 1(University of Cologne))
Comments from the FEUTURE Advisory Board:
H.E. Ambassador Dr. Albert Rohan (Member of the Independent Commission on Turkey)
Prof. Ofra Bengio (Senior Research Fellow, Moshe Dayan Center for Middle Eastern and African Studies)
Prof. Dr. Meltem Müftüler-Bac (Jean Monnet Chair at Sabanci University, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, European Studies, Istanbul)