Europe-Turkey Relations and the Impact of the EU Presidency of France

TESEV Foreign Policy Program, Paris, in partnership with Institut Français des Relations Internationales (IFRI)

Europe – Turkey Relations and the Impact of the EU Presidency of France
Paris,

The Turkish Economic and Social Studies Foundation (TESEV) and the Institut Français des Relations Internationales (IFRI) jointly organized the international conference: "Europe - Turkey Relations and the Impact of the EU Presidency of France" on December 18 2008, at the premises of the French Senate. Among the conference speakers were Ahmet Davutoğlu, Pierre Fauchon, Xavier de Villepin, Oğuz Demiralp, Robert del Picchia, Riccardo Serri, Pierre Menat and many other notable figures who discussed various aspects of Turkey – France relations. The conference attracted wide participation from French senators, media representatives, academics, graduate students, civil society organizations and government representatives. Over 150 guests attended the conference.

The conference aimed to assess Turkey – France – EU relations during the French EU presidency. The panels discussed the institutional crisis in Europe and the effects of the enlargement process on this crisis; examined the reform process in Turkey and the influence of EU accession aspirations on Turkey’s democratization; and finally, identified both sides’ roles in the global arena.