Marmara University European Union Institute organized the Europe Week events together with the Delegation of the European Commission to Turkey, the Economic Development Foundation, the Turkish University Association for European Studies (TUNAECS) and the Bremen Center for Migrants and Intercultural Studies within the framework of May 9 Europe Day. The events organized at Marmara University Göztepe Campus on May 8-9-10, 2017 were attended by academicians and students as well as people from outside the university. The Europe Week events began with a musical recital conducted by Marmara University Faculty Member Assoc. Prof. Dr. Bülent Halvaşi.

The opening speech of Europe Week was made by M.Ü. Vice Rector Prof. Dr. Recep Bozlağan. Reminding that the European Union is a coexistence project that has spread to almost the entire continent and includes half a billion people, Prof. Bozlağan reminded that Turkey has been accepted as an indispensable part of Europe since the second half of the 19th century. Prof. Dr. Recep Bozlağan, who also mentioned that the successful continuation of Turkey’s European Union membership process is closely related to the social acceptance of this project, emphasized that in addition to the political will shown by our government, all institutions and organizations of our country, both public and private, have important responsibilities. Prof. Bozlağan reminded that Marmara University also fulfills this responsibility with the activities of its different units, especially the European Union Institute.

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In the opening session of the program, Ediz Hun a lecturer at Okan University and a cinema actor, made a presentation titled “Nature-Human Relations in Socio-Economic Development”. Reminding the historical development of the environmental factor and environmental awareness in sustainable development, Ediz Hun also addressed the problems in Turkey with different data regarding our country’s increasing population and increasing environmental pollution. In this sense, environmental expert Ediz Hun also emphasized the importance of cooperation with countries with high environmental awareness in Europe.

 

The current status of Turkey-EU relations was evaluated in the afternoon session. The session, which addressed the problems and solution proposals in the current structure of relations, primarily the updating of the Customs Union, was chaired by İKV Secretary General Assoc. Dr. Çiğdem Nas. The session, in which İKV Vice President Prof. Dr. Halûk Kabaalioğlu and İKV Strategy and Business Development Manager M. Gökhan Kilit were speakers, was held at the Dr. İbrahim Üzümcü Conference Hall on Göztepe Campus. Session President Assoc. Dr. Nas stated that Turkey's EU process is on a successful path despite all the difficulties and reminded that our country needs the goal of full membership and the reforms to be made on this path more than ever.

 

IKV Vice President Prof. Dr. Kabaalioğlu, who is also the Founding Director of the M.Ü. European Union Institute, President of TUNAECS and President of the Association of European Law Faculties, recalled the first years when Turkey decided to join the European integration, touched on the close economic relations established on the Customs Union in his speech and emphasized the benefits of these relations to the country's economy, underlining the need to revive friendly relations. Explaining that relations between Turkey and the EU have faced different difficulties at different times, Prof. Dr. Halûk Kabaalioğlu stated that conjunctural developments in the world can always change and that Turkey-EU relations can regain their former momentum.

IKV Strategy and Business Development Manager M. Gökhan Kilit made a presentation presenting the sector-based impact analysis of the Customs Union, which is planned to be updated. Emphasizing the necessity of reforms in agriculture in order to be more effective in the EU and world markets, Kilit noted that the agreement to be renewed is expected to include public procurement and services.

 

The second day of the program ended with a concert consisting of Southern Italian melodies, especially Campania, by the group, which was in Turkey as a guest of the Italian Consulate General in Istanbul and the European Commission Delegation to Turkey. The concert, which Neapolitan artist Flo gave with another Italian music group, attracted attention from students and academicians as well as those outside the university.

On the third day of the Europe Week events, Turkey's participation in EU projects was discussed. Following the statements made by Expert Deniz Servantie from the Economic Development Foundation on EU Programs, project applications to be made to existing programs in Turkey were explained.