ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION, 50 years FROM THE CHAIRMAN

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1 Turkey s EU Expert

2 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION, 50 years FROM THE CHAIRMAN Turkey s EU Expert IKV, a research organization specialized in the field of Turkey-EU relations, was established two years after the signing of the Ankara Agreement in 1963 which constitutes the foundation of the relations between Turkey and the then European Economic Community. IKV is an important indication of the farsightedness of the Turkish private sector concerning the potential benefits of the relations between the two parties.

3 03 The year 2013 was celebrated as the 50 th anniversary of the signing of the Ankara Agreement which constitutes the legal basis of the relations between Turkey and the EU. In 2015, we have entered the 10 th year in Turkey-EU accession negotiations. Despite being situated in a turbulent region, Turkey remains for many different regions a source of inspiration with its dynamic private sector, economic governance and demographical structure. Without doubt, the increase of Turkey s economic and social dynamism, the progress made in regard to democracy and human rights and its transformation to an important regional power and economic actor have contributed tremendously to the EU process. The relations with the EU have encouraged Turkey to move forward. Turkey s application for full membership in 1987, the establishment of the Customs Union in 1996, the recognition of the EU candidate status in 1999 and the beginning of negotiations in 2005 constitute major milestones for Turkey in its relations with the EU. The reforms undergone in Turkey have raised Turkey to an upper level status in terms of social welfare and development. The time has come for EU to crown Turkey with the status of full membership. While leaving half a century behind in the relations between Turkey and the EU, we are still disappointed that despite all the progress being made, Turkey s full membership status has still not been realized. We, as IKV, with the consciousness that EU membership is a lengthy process that requires patience, keep in mind the importance of carrying out our Foundation s responsibilities in this path. Turkey s goal for EU membership remains a priority. This goal constitutes a driving force for Turkey in its search for modernization and for its citizens to embrace prosperous and higher standards of living. The establishment of IKV, known as Turkey s EU Expert, just two years after the signing of the Ankara Agreement in 1963 which constitutes the foundation of the relations between Turkey and the then European Economic Community, is an important indication of the farsightedness of the Turkish private sector concerning the two parties. For 50 years, with the desire to have a Turkey open to different parts of the world, our Foundation has contributed to the integration of our country into the modern global system. Since its establishment, IKV explained on the one hand the European vision to Turkey and on the other hand Turkey s potential to Europe with the support of its Founders, Trustees and Supporters, without deviating from its mission and objectives and also without losing its faith that Turkey will take its due place within the European integration. In its 50 th anniversary, IKV maintains this vision and faith with the support and contribution of its esteemed stakeholders. While leaving 50 years behind in our Foundation, we owe a debt of gratitude to Istanbul Chamber of Industry and Istanbul Chamber of Commerce as IKV s Founders; to the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey, our most important contributor as well as to the Banks Association of Turkey, Turkish Exporters Assembly, Turkish Confederation of Employer Associations, Istanbul Commodity Exchange, Turkish Industry and Business Association, Union of Agricultural Chambers of Turkey, Istanbul Textile and Apparel Exporters Association as our Foundation s Trustees; and to all of our Supporters. We would like to express our deepest gratitude to all our former Chairmen, Members of the Board of Directors and Team of Researchers who have endeavored over the course of 50 years to carry out our Foundation s responsibilities without deviating from Turkey s goal of EU membership. Ömer Cihad Vardan Chairman

4 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION, 50 years WHO WE ARE? ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION (IKV) IKV which is as old as the history of Turkey-EU relations itself was established on 26 November 1965, two years after the signing of the Ankara Agreement which marks the beginning of the association relation between Turkey and the EU. IKV which was established to monitor and evaluate EU and Turkey-EU relations, to inform the public and to represent the Turkish business community within the EU, was the result of a pioneering endeavour of the then President of Istanbul Chamber of Commerce Behçet Osmanağaoğlu and Istanbul Chamber of Industry Fazıl Zobu. With its head office in Istanbul and a Permanent Representation in Brussels since 1984 which is the first representative office of the Turkish private sector within the EU, IKV has, over the past 50 years, increased its activities, expanded its target group and strengthened its mission in all its activities and sought to respond to the evolving needs of its trustees and supporters as well as new needs associatied with the developments both in the EU and in Turkey-EU relations. As of 2015, along with the two founding organizations, Istanbul Chamber of Commerce and Istanbul Chamber of Industry, IKV trustee delegation is composed of the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey, Banks Association of Turkey, Turkish Exporters Assembly, Turkish Confederation of Employer Associations, Istanbul Commodity Exchange, Turkish Industry and Business Association, the Union of Agriculture Chambers of Turkey and Istanbul Textile and Apparel Exporters Association. IKV also has many Foundation Supporters composed of various representative organizations and companies. TURKEY S EU EXPERT IKV; Has been serving Turkey s goal of EU membership for 50 years regardless of any conjunctural changes, Is a non-profit organization, does not have any ideological motives and / or connections, maintains the same distance to all political parties, Does not receive any financial support from the government, is supported entirely by the private sector, Has been expressing its impartial views and evaluations on the EU and Turkey-EU relations, Has established a well-deserved reputation as a respected and trustworthy Specialized Organization ; i.e. Turkey s EU Expert thanks to the knowledge and experience accumulated over the years.

5 05 FOUNDERS ISTANBUL CHAMBER OF INDUSTRY ISTANBUL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE TRUSTEES UNION OF CHAMBERS AND COMMODITY EXCHANGES OF TURKEY TURKISH EXPORTERS ASSEMBLY ISTANBUL TEXTILE AND APPAREL EXPORTERS ASSOCIATION ISTANBUL COMMODITY EXCHANGE TURKISH BANK ASSOCIATIONS FORMER CHAIRMEN IKV Team, 2015 TURKISH CONFEDERATION OF EMPLOYER ASSOCIATIONS UNION OF AGRICULTURAL CHAMBERS OF TURKEY Founders: Behçet Osmanağaoğlu-Fazıl Zobu ( ) Ertuğrul Soysal ( ) Basri Öztekin ( ) Refik Baydur ( ) Asım Kocabıyık ( ) TURKISH INDUSTRY AND BUSINESS ASSOCIATION Jak Kamhi ( ) Sedat Aloğlu ( ) Meral Gezgin Eriş ( ) Davut Ökütçü ( ) Prof. Dr. Halûk Kabaalioğlu ( ) Ömer Cihad Vardan (2014- )

6 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION, 50 years OUR GOALS Since its establishment, IKV pursues with determination and without interruption its activities and responsibilities in line with Turkey s goal of EU membership regardless of the fluctuations in Turkey s EU membership process. In this respect, with the same commitment and effort, IKV continues its researchoriented, informative, promotional, educational and coordination activities with the aim of accelerating Turkey s EU membership process and actively supporting the achievement of this goal in a very short period of time. To contribute to the economic and social development of Turkey; To carry out activities that will help Turkey develop its relations with other countries, economic groups and in particular with the EU; To organize seminars, conferences, panels and similar meetings with the aim of informing Turkish public; To ensure cooperation and coordination within the business community in Turkey and abroad; To formulate opinions on Turkey- EU relations by strengthening the cooperation and ensuring the exchange of information with all interested public and private organizations; To monitor and evaluate the new developments in the EU and to inform the public about the impact of these changes on Turkey; To contribute to the promotion of Turkey in abroad. IKV Board of Directors consists in total of 19 members: 17 Members of the Board of Directors being elected among the delegates of founding and trustee organizations and 2 auditors.

7 OUR ACTIVITIES 07 In accordance with its goals, IKV carries out activities analysing the European integration process, all EU policies and their impact on Turkey, Turkey s level of harmonization with the EU and Turkey-EU relations in all its aspects. Even during the most stagnant periods of Turkey-EU relations, keeping its confidence and determination in Turkey s EU membership goal, IKV has always been a pioneer with its research, informative and communication activities. IKV does not focus only on the current agenda of Turkey-EU relations, but also deals with long-term issues that have future-oriented perspectives. In this respect, IKV endeavours to inform the business community and the public and also carries out an early warning function the process of our country s path towards EU membership.

8 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION, 50 years OUR ACTIVITIES INFORMATIVE ACTIVITIES COORDINATION OF AN NGO PLATFORM TO SUPPORT TURKEY S EU PROCESS IKV organizes seminars, conferences and panels on EU and Turkey-EU relations to inform the public both in Turkey and various EU countries with the participation of high-level representatives and experts from Turkey and the EU. In these informative activities carried out with the aim of formulating opinions and proposals in regards to Turkey-EU relations, IKV closely monitors the developments in EU and Turkey-EU relations while it is in constant dialogue and exchange of information with the public and private sector in formulating these opinions. Both in its Istanbul head office and Brussels Representation, IKV also carries out extensive coordination, promotional and lobbying activities vis-à-vis Turkish and European public institutions, representatives of EU Member States and other civil society organizations and ensures the constant transfer of its accumulated knowledge to the public by means of national and foreign media. The Window to EU and Window to Turkey conference series organized by IKV targeting officials of EU institutions in Brussels and business circles in Turkey constitute a good example of these activities. In the Window to EU meetings, representatives of the business community from Turkey, members of civil society organizations, academics, experts and officials of EU institutions gather to discuss the latest developments in the EU and relations with Turkey. In the Window to Turkey meetings, experts from Turkey provide information about Turkey s history and culture as well as the recent economic and political developments. In line with the support provided by the representatives of the Turkish business community, IKV assumes a coordinating role in the relations between the EU institutions and public in regard to EU affairs. Window to Turkey, 2014, Brussels

9 09 Under the Turkey Platform established with the participation of over 250 civil society organizations and under the coordination of IKV, communication, promotional and lobbying activities are carried out especially in critical periods of Turkey-EU relations. Turkey Platform, 2011, Istanbul

10 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION, 50 years IKV PUBLICATIONS MORE THAN 300 PUBLICATIONS SINCE 1965 Since its foundation, IKV has released more than 300 publications on EU integration process, EU policies and their impact on Turkey, Turkey s level of harmonization and Turkey- EU relations in all its aspects. These publications are considered as main sources of reference by the business community, public sector, civil society organizations and academicians. IKV is the institution in our country that has conducted the most extensive research and has developed strategies on Turkey-EU relations. IKV LIBRARY: TURKEY S OLDEST AND RICHEST EU LIBRARY IKV has Turkey s oldest library specializing on the EU. While ensuring the active participation of the Turkish business community and the civil society organizations in the path of Turkey s EU accession process, IKV, by establishing a rich library within its structure, also served to facilitate and to contribute further to the acceleration of this process. In fact, the IKV library, besides being the oldest of its kind, is also the only depository library of the EU in Turkey. The library is constantly adding to its collection of registered books and expending regularly its archive with approximately 250 national and 50 foreign periodicals.

11 is one of the countries where the first legal acts regarding equality between men and women date back to the 1920s. In 1925, a political party for women rights (Women s People Party Kadınlar Halk Fırkası) was established with the aim to increase the participation of women in politics. Five years later, Turkish women were granted the right to vote in municipal elections. On 5 December 1934, they were granted full suffrage and in the first elections women obtained 18 seats in the Parliament (4.6% of total seats). Legal and Institutional Developments for Promoting Gender Equality Considering the fact that women in some of the oldest (i.e., France, Italy) and relatively newest (i.e. Slovenia, Malta, Bulgaria and Romania) EU Member States gained the right to vote and to be elected in the 1940s, Turkey stands as one of the pioneering countries for providing gender equality in Europe. EU accession process has been the main contributor for accelerating these efforts. In 1985, Turkey signed and ratified the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) which is the most comprehensive legal regulation at international level. Furthermore, with the aim of harmonising Turkish legislation on gender equality with the EU acquis, Turkey has introduced a series of amendments in the Constitution, the Turkish Civil Code, Labour Law and the Penal Code which are the main legislation regulating gender policy throughout the 2000s. In addition to these legal regulations, institutional changes also have been brought to realize the goals of eliminating discrimination against women in line with CEDAW standards. To that end, the General Directorate of Women s Status, Ministry of Family and Social Policies and Equal Opportunities Commission Policy and Enlargement Negotiations Johannes Hahn s Head of Cabinet Michael Karnitschnig and Cabinet Member Christine Grau; Commission President Jean- in the Turkish Grand National Assembly were established. Yet, it is important to note that the replacement of the State Ministry for Women and Family Affairs with the Ministry of Family and Social Policies were subject to severe criticism and is considered a stepback in promoting gender equality due to removal of women from the title of the Ministry. Gender (In) Equality in Turkey: What Do the Figures Say? Although Turkey initiated comprehensive policies for promoting gender equality in the early days of the Republic and maintained its efforts during the EU accession process, Turkey finds itself well below many countries on global rankings. In fact, when gender equality in Turkey is compared to those of EU Member States, Turkey ranks as the country representing the highest gender inequality. According to 2014 Global Inequality Index of United Nations which is one of the widely-used indices of gender equality, Turkey ranks 69 th out of 187 countries while the worstperforming EU Member State Bulgaria ranks as the 58 th. Furthermore, in 2014 Global Gender Gap Report (GGGR) published by the World Economic Forum, Turkey ranks 125 th out of 142 countries (only leaving countries such as Algeria, Ethiopia, Oman, Egypt and Saudi Arabia Claude Juncker s spokesperson Margaritis Schinas; High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Federica Mogherini s Chef de Cabinet and former Head of EU Delegation in Turkey Stefano Manservisi and Turkey s Permanent Representative to the EU Selim Yenel. IKV delegation / contact: ikv@ikv.org.tr behind). According to GGGR, female-to-male ratio of economic participation and opportunity in Turkey is 0.43 compared to the average level of all countries which is In other words, men are twice more likely to be able to participate in the labour force than women in Turkey. The figures for political empowerment of women in Turkey represent a more pessimistic picture: female-to-male ratio of political empowerment in Turkey is 0.08 compared to the average value of Considering the steps taken by Turkey within the framework of EU accession process, these figures represent a big controversy between the legal and institutional developments with regards to gender equality in Turkey. The major reason for such a gap between the policies and practices is likely to stem from limited implementation of the regulations due to dominant social norms and practices in Turkey. Such norms and practices which are already deeply-rooted in the society are also supported by highlevel political figures which impede further development of gender equality in Turkey. As indicated in the 2014 Progress Report, Turkey does not fulfil the economic and political criteria for maintaining the equality between men and women and should increase efforts to foster women participation in labour market, policy making and decisionmaking in the public sector for further alignment with EU standards. pursued their meetings in Brussels in March and met with Head of Turkey Cabinet of High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Anna Vezyroglou and European Policy Centre s (EPC) Researcher Amanda Paul. PAGE 2 11 IKV MAGAZINE Turkey s only journal on Turkey-EU relations IKV NEWSLETTER AND IKV MONTHLY IKV WEBSITE AND MICRO WEBSITES IKV s Trustee Organizations: ISSUE:5 MARCH 2015 GENDER (IN)EQUALITY IN TURKEY EU accession process has greatly contributed to accelerating the efforts to promote gender equality in Turkey. First issue published back in March 1981, IKV Magazine which got together again with its readers with its 150 th issue published in 2010, is the only regular monthly journal on Turkey-EU relations that includes various articles on the latest developments in Turkey, EU and Turkey-EU relations. ender equality is (and G has always been) a key issue in Turkey. In fact, Turkey IKV DELEGATION S VISIT TO BRUSSELS IKV Delegation, Secretary-General Assoc. Prof. Çiğdem Nas, Deputy Secretary-General and Research Director Melih Özsöz and Brussels Representative Haluk Nuray held meetings in Brussels with representatives of EU institutions. n February, IKV Delegation Imet with Commissioner for European Neighbourhood Since 2004, the IKV weekly e-newsletter published in Turkish informs its readers about the current developments in EU and Turkey-EU relations. Since 2014, IKV Monthly informs foreign readers especially on the current developments in Turkey and Turkey s EU accession process. IKV website, available in Turkish and English which have been updated in accordance with the new requirements of the modern era, present to stakeholders not only news and announcements related to the latest developments in Turkey-EU relations but also general information on main EU policies and detailed brief notes on the EU, Turkey- EU relations and accession negotiations. IKV website is enriched with the introduction of new micro websites that present interactive applications concerning important topics of Turkey- EU relations.

12 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION, 50 years IKV PROJECTS IMPORTANT ACCUMULATION OF EXPERTISE IN EU PROJECTS IKV has significant experience in developing and in implementing projects. With the various projects it has conducted, IKV has been working closely in cooperation with various institutions and organizations from the public sector, business community and civil society organizations both in Turkey and abroad. Fully conscious of the nature of EU accession process as an all-encompassing reform and restructuring project deeply affecting political, economic and social life, IKV integrates all segments of the society to this process by developing various projects. Within this framework, projects have been carried out with the participation of high level representatives from Turkey and EU with the objective of informing the Turkish business community, civil society organizations, media and the public. SOME OF THE PROJECTS CONDUCTED BY IKV FTA Information and Capacity Building Center IKV aims to contribute to building a private-sector capacity to analyse and formulate opinions on the new generation of free trade agreements, especially the ongoing negotiations between the EU and the USA for the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, as well as the impact of these agreements on Turkey-EU relations. The FTA Information and Capacity-Building Center constitutes a center of excellence coordinating and pooling the work of relevant business organizations in this issue area. Visa Hotline Project The Visa Hotline Project was launched in 2009 by IKV with the support of TOBB and the cooperation of Brussels-based European Citizen Action Service. This Project continued with the organization of various meetings, informative activities and publications throughout the years With this Project, IKV aimed to draw attention to the problems encountered by Turkish citizens, especially by Turkish businessmen while applying to the Schengen Visa when travelling to EU member countries. Within the framework of this project, IKV not only tackles the visa problem from a multidimensional approach but also evaluates the readmission process. EU Presidencies and Turkey s EU Membership Process Within the framework of this project, IKV aims to raise awareness on Turkey- EU relations by organizing seminars on Turkey-EU relations in the Member States, currently holding the Presidency of the Council of the EU. In these seminars, several issues related to Turkey s EU accession negotiations are discussed such as potential effects of Turkey s membership to the EU, Turkey s efforts at harmonization, Turkey-EU Customs Union, visa and free movement as well as latest developments in Turkey s economy, politics and society. Talking about Our Common Future Project was launched with the aim of shedding light on the future of Turkey- EU relations within the context of a changing world. Within the framework of this project, a series of round table meetings were organized to discuss the developments that could affect Turkey as a candidate country, the issues that bear importance for the EU, Turkey-EU relations and the EU policies.

13 13 Enhancing Turkish Business World s Capacity on Impact Assessment in the Accession Process Based on the experience of EU s new Member States and other candidate countries, IKV organised various seminars and published a guideline on Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA) in order to raise awareness among the Turkish public. With these impact assessments, it is aimed to better evaluate the effects of Turkey s EU membership on public and private sectors and the costs related to the harmonization process. The EU Accession Negotiations Process in Provinces IKV organized a series of seminars on Turkey-EU relations in various provinces of Turkey with the support of TOBB, chambers, public institutions, civil society organizations and universities. The topics covered included the accession negotiations process, EU financial support, the impact of EU membership on our daily life. The Impact of the Horizontal Implementation of the EU Acquis on Leading Turkish Business Sectors IKV analyzed, the impact of the horizontal implementation of the EU acquis on six leading sectors of the Turkish economy within the framework of this project. The aim of the project was to strengthen the monitoring and evaluation capacity of the EU harmonization process by the representatives of various sectors, professional organizations, civil society organizations and public institutions in order to encourage their active participation. ABC Project in Primary Education IKV organized workshops and training seminars in various provinces of Turkey in order to inform primary school teachers about the EU and Turkey s EU accession process with the overarching aim of raising societal awareness on the issue. During these workshops, participants explored the channels through which this information could be integrated into primary school curricula as well as to the general education system.

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15 TURKEY S EU EXPERT FOR 50 YEARS The year 2015 which marks the 10th year in Turkey s EU accession negotiations bears a special significance when compared to previous years. Our Foundation which was established in 1965 is celebrating its 50 th anniversary in IKV is celebrating its 50 th year as a unique organization signifying solidarity and cooperation within the business sector for a long term objective. The 50 th anniversary of our Foundation is not only a cause of celebration for us but also an opportunity to further develop the European vision in Turkey and to increase awareness of Turkey in Europe. In 2015, our Foundation aims to mark its 50 th anniversary as a milestone in Turkey s relations with the EU by sharing its expertise through projects that will reach all segments of the society with the support of its esteemed stakeholders. As IKV, we will resolutely continue to pursue our activities related to European integration and Turkey s relations with the EU. Within this framework, while we will continue to represent the business community, inform the public and formulate opinions regarding Turkey s EU process, we will carry on with our various activities in the EU, keep in touch with the EU institutions through our Brussels Representation and seek defend Turkey s EU membership prospect. The Foundation has contributed to the integration of our country into the modern world over the past 50 years, with the desire to help build a Turkey open to different parts of the world. We are determined to maintain this faith in our 50 th year and beyond.

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