Seminar organised by the Euro-Arab Foundation and the Middle East Institute -ORMER de la Sakarya University
Tuesday, 24 October 2023
At the Euro-Arab Foundation. Open to the public until full capacity is reached.
The seminar will be held entirely in English.
This seminar promises to be a comprehensive exploration of the dynamic relationship between Turkey and Europe, examining its rich historical foundations, contemporary complexities, and potential pathways for future cooperation.
9:00- 9:20 Welcoming and opening
María Inmaculada Ramos Tapia, Executive secretary of the Euro-Arab Foundation
Yıldırım Turan, Vice-Director of the Middle East Institute at Sakarya University
9.20- 10:40 // PANEL1
The Ottoman Empire and European Powers: Layers and Reflections of Historical Interaction
Speakers: Professor Tuncay Kardaş and Ph.D. Candidate at Sakarya University Ayşe Hazar
Our first panel, “The Ottoman Empire and European Powers,” delves into the layers and reflections of historical interactions. Subtopics include historical conflicts, complexities, and alliances, as well as an exploration of the diplomatic legacy with its epochal shifts in diplomatic engagement and paradigms. Additionally, we will examine cross-cultural exchanges and economic collaborations, shedding lights on the resonances of the Ottoman era for the present-day relations and problems.
Historical Meeting Points, Conflicts, and Alliances
Diplomatic Legacy: Epochal Shifts in Diplomatic Engagement and Paradigms
10:40- 11:00 BREAK
11:00h. - 12:20h. // PANEL 2
Contemporary Dynamics: Assessing Turkey-Europe Relations
Speakers: Assoc. Prof. Yıldırım Turan and Assoc. Prof. Aytaç Kadıoğlu
In the second panel, “Contemporary Dynamics,” we turn our attention to the present, assessing the nature of current political and economic relations. We will discuss the topics at the forefront of today’s conflicts and collaborations and paint a portrait of contemporary diplomacy, highlighting its promises and challenges.
Current Political-Economic Landscape
Past Conflicts and New Collaborations
Contemporary Diplomacy and Engagements
12:20- 12:40 BREAK
12:40h. - 14:00h. // PANEL 3
Towards a Constructive Future: Strategies and Recommendations
Speakers: Professor Tuncay Kardaş, Assoc. Prof. Yıldırım Turan, Assoc. Prof. Aytaç Kadıoğlu and Ph.D. Candidate Ayşe Hazar
Moderation: Mª Inmaculada Ramos Tapia
The final panel, “Towards a Constructive Future,” offers a forward-looking perspective. We will explore projections for Turkey-Europe relations in the next decade, address mutual concerns, and identify areas of collaboration. Moreover, we will present policy recommendations and solutions to chart a path towards a more constructive and collaborative future for Turkey and Europe.
Projections for Turkey-Europe Relations in the Next Decade
Addressing Mutual Concerns and Areas of Collaboration
Policy Recommendations
Speakers:
- Professor Mª Inmaculada Ramos Tapia
- Assoc. Prof. Yıldırım Turan
- Assoc. Prof. Aytaç Kadıoğlu
- Ph.D. Candidate Ayşe Hazar
About the Speakers:
Mª Inmaculada Ramos Tapia. Executive Secretary of the Euro-Arab Foundation for Higher Studies in Granada. Professor of the Department of Criminal Law at the Faculty of Law of the University of Granada. At the University of Granada, she has held the positions of Vice-Dean for Research and International Relations of the Faculty of Law UGR (2000-2003); Director of the Secretariat of International Relations and Projects (2003-2007) and Deputy Secretary General of the University of Granada (2015-2019). In other areas of management, she has been Director General of Universities of the Junta de Andalucía (2019-2020). She is currently a member of the National R&D Plan project "Analysis of legislative proposals to combat modern slavery and due diligence obligations of companies in Spain (APROES)" (2023-2026). She has been principal investigator of the National R&D&I Plan project "Grey areas of female slavery: domestic service, prostitution, forced marriages and child labour" (2015-2018).
Tuncay Kardaş is a professor of International Relations in Middle East Institute of Sakarya University. He holds a PhD degree from the University of Wales, Aberystwyth. His main research areas are critical security studies, sociology of war, international relations theory, and media semiotics. His recent works have been published in International Politics, Cambridge Review of International Affairs, War and History, Middle East Critique, and Turkish Studies. Prof. Kardaş also co-edited two books: Exploring Samuel Huntington’s Faultlines, from Al-Andalus to Virtual Ummah (New York: Oxford University Press, 2009) and Non-State Armed Actors in the Middle East (New York: Palgrave, 2017).
Yıldırım Turan is an associate professor of politics and international relations at the Middle East Institute. In 2011, he graduated from Sakarya University, Institute of Social Sciences, Department of International Relations, PhD program with his thesis titled "The European Union's Democracy Promotion Policy: Its Role and Dilemma in the Democratization of Turkey". During her PhD, he worked as a researcher at the University of Bremen in Germany for one year. He is currently working as an Associate Professor at Sakarya University, Department of International Relations. Turan has contributed to journals such as War in History and Alternatives, and has taken various roles as a coordinator in conferences such as Eupra, Kriz Kritik, Ortadoğu and Blue Black Sea. His areas of expertise are Regional Politics, Democratization and War Studies.
Aytaç Kadıoğlu is an associate professor of politics and international relations at the Middle East Institute. He received his PhD in International Relations at the University of Nottingham (UK). He holds a Masters in International Relations at the University of Leicester (UK), and a BA in the School of Political Sciences at Istanbul University. His main research areas are conflict resolution, ethno-nationalist conflicts, war and peace studies, security in the Middle East and international relations theory. His recent works have been published in Edinburgh University Press, Studies in Conflict and Terrorism, Middle Eastern Studies, Journal of Conflict, Security and Development, Journal of Political Sciences and Pacific Focus.
Ayşe Hazar is a researcher at Sakarya University's Middle East Institute. She is pursuing her Ph.D. in Middle East Studies at Sakarya University. She holds a Masters in Middle Eastern Studies from the University of Sakarya and a BA in Sociology from Istanbul University. Specializing in Arab foreign policies, international organizations, and the political history of the modern Middle East, she is currently writing her Ph.D. thesis titled “Emergence of Arab Solidarity in International Organizations: The Case of UN Bodies (1946-1967)” on Arab solidarity in global politics. Her recent works have been published in Southeast European and Black Sea Studies, and Middle Eastern Studies.
