7th Annual Conference EU-Turkey

Dates: January, 12 and 13, 2006
Venue: Barcelona
Organizers: IEMed and Istanbul Policy Center (Sabanci University).

The VIIth Annual Eu-Turkey Conference is the seventh edition of a regularly held meeting-organised by Istanbul Policy Center at Sabanci University and the European Institute of the Mediterranean-that aims to bring together decision and opinion makers, business community leaders, experts and civil society actors from the European Union, Turkey and elsewhere, for a free and frank debate on Turkey’s EU candidacy.

This year’s edition seeks to debate some key elements that need to be discussed in a medium-term perspective of negotiations to accession. Fostering cultural dialogue in order to overcome confrontations and stereotypes and instead to build a common history, based on the debate about reciprocal perceptions, should be seen as a fundamental issue accompanying the political process of accession. More broadly, the Seminar seeks to favour mutual knowledge and cultural dialogue in the framework of Turkey’s future membership of the European Union, and promote the debate on the role of this country in other multilateral dialogue frameworks such as the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership.

Friday, January the 12th

11.30h-13.30h Session I: Mutual cultural and historical perceptions
Historical evolution of mutual perceptions between Turkey and Europe: debate between historians. Reception of European thought in Turkey and vice versa throughout history . What elements for a common history?

15.30h. Session II The reality of exchanges: immigrant communities, universities, economic relations, media
Integration of Turkish communities and European identity. What role for Turkish Islam in Europe? Relation between academic and cultural communities. Its influence on dialogue and improvement of mutual perceptions. Rapprochement through economic and commercial relations. What role for the media?

Saturday, January the 13th

9.30h.-11.00h Session III: Turkey and Europe in the new Euro-Mediterranean reality I
Islam and modernity in the Turkish national project. Turkey-Europe rapprochement: cultural, political, economic and institutional approaches. The role of Turkey as an international actor and its potentialities in the framework of future membership

11.30-13.30h Session IV Turkey and Europe in the new Euro-Mediterranean reality II.
The Euro-Mediterranean Partnership as an instrument of dialogue and cooperation: which role for Turkey? Turkey’s integration into the EU: what consequences for the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership, the Alliance of Civilisation and The European Neighbourhood Policy?

Documents

Programme
Dossier 1: Presentation of the themes of the conference.
Dossier 2: Articles and statistical figures.
Speech of Marc Pierini, Head of the Delegation of the European Commission in Turkey.