CIES Newsletter

Europe and Majdans: German-Polish Support for the Civil Societies in Turkey and Ukraine 2 December 2015 The Center for International and European Studies (CIES) at Kadir Has University in partnership with The German Marshall Fund of the United States and Kolegium Europy Wschodniej held a seminar on "Europe and Majdans: German-Polish support for the civil societies in Turkey and Ukraine". The speakers included Adam Balcer of the Kolegium Europy Wschodniej (College of Eastern Europe) and Joerg Forbrig of the German Marshall Fund. The authors presented the findings of a report they have just completed on the topic.

Greek-Turkish Youth Symposium on Security 9-13 December 2015 The Greek-Turkish Youth Symposium (GTYS) on Security organized by The Center for International and European Studies (CIES) at Kadir Has University, with the participation of 15 Turkish and 15 Greek International Relations specialists (MA Students, PhD Candidates, young PhD scholars and professionals), aged 22-35 years old, on 9-13 December 2015 in Thessaloniki in partnership with the Navarino Network. Event also had a broad repercussion in press, you can find the news report here.

Assessing the Impact of the Iran Nuclear Deal on Regional Security 10 September 2015 The Center for International and European Studies (CIES) at Kadir Has University in cooperation with the International Networking Institute held a talk by Dr. Amin Tarzi, the Director of Middle East Studies at Marine Corps University in Quantico, VA on “Assessing the Impact of the Iran Nuclear Deal on Regional Security� to followed by a roundtable discussion.

All for Rights, Rights for All October 2014-December 2015 The Center for International and European Studies (CIES) at Kadir Has University hosted a closure meeting on 14 December 2015 of All for Rights, Rights for All project. Funded by Civil Society Dialogue between EU and Turkey – III: Political Criteria Grant Scheme, the "All for Rights, Rights for All" project was led and implemented by the Turkey Youth Union Association in partnership with the Center for International and European Studies (CIES) and Romania Partners Foundation for Local Development (FPDL).

SEECP - 20 Years Key to Regional Cooperation 27 November 2015 The Center for International and European Studies (CIES) at Kadir Has University and The Consulate General of the Republic of Bulgaria in Istanbul hosted a Public Lecture on "SEECP - 20 Years Key to Regional Cooperation" with participation of Ambassador Andrey Tehov and Ambassador Maya Nikolova Dobreva. Event also had a broad repercussion in press, you can find the news report here.

The Crisis between Turkey and Russia – What is Next?

Understanding the Complexities of the International Order 8 December 2015 The Center for International and European Studies (CIES) at Kadir Has University held a panel discussion on “The Crisis between Turkey and Russia – What is Next? Understanding the Complexities of the International Order” at Kadir Has University with the participation of Cenk Başlamış, Ahmet K. Han, Ceyda Karan, Cüneyt Özdemir and Soli Özel.

Conference on “Turkey: What Next? -- An assessment in view of the general elections on June 7, 2015” 25 May 2015 The Center for International and European Studies (CIES) at Kadir Has University in partnership with the Navarino Network, held a conference on “Turkey: An assessment in view of the general elections on June 7, 2015” in Thessaloniki, Greece on 25 May. The event included two panel discussions: one on “The foreign policy of Erdogan’s Turkey” and another on “EU-Turkey relations: Between marriage and divorce”.

The 1st Kadir Has University Conference on International Relations 22 – 24 October 2015

The 1st Kadir Has University Conference on International Relations: "Two Hundred Years since the Congress of Vienna: The State of International Relations as a Discipline and Alternative World Views". The Department of International Relations at Kadir Has University, in cooperation with the Center for International and European Studies (CIES) at Kadir Has University and the International Relations Council of Turkey (UIK), held the st 1 Kadir Has University International Conference on International Relations between 22 and 24 October 2015 at Kadir Has University.

The Conference is meant to address the lessons learned from the landmark events and their legacies on the international system by focusing on the global challenges today and defining ways to address them primarily from a theoretical perspective. By looking at the past, we seek to assess the present and future of international relations.

Apart from plenary sessions with keynote speakers and panel discussions, the conference also included a number of simultaneous academic panels and workshops where participants presented their papers.

Roundtable Discussion on “Is Greek-Turkish Rapprochement Leading Both Countries Closer to Europe?”

6 May 2015 The Center for International and European Studies (CIES) at Kadir Has University, in cooperation with the Friedrich Naumann Foundation and with the support of the European Liberal Forum, held a roundtable discussion on 6 May 2015 at Kadir Has University. By taking the state of affairs in both countries into consideration, not only their respective situation but also the bilateral relations between Greece and Turkey will play a bigger role for the future of the European Union. As CIES we thought it was highly topical to discuss political developments in both countries in the light of the bilateral relations. With this roundtable, we aimed to gather experts from both sides to nourish the exchange between them prior to Turkey’s parliamentary elections.

Panel Discussion on “Iraq and the Islamic State: The State of Play” 18 March 2015 The Center for International and European Studies (CIES) at Kadir Has University, held a panel discussion on 18 March 2015 with participation of Şaban Kardaş fromTOBB University of Economics & Technology and ORSAM, Soli Özel from Kadir Has University and HaberTurk, Yezid Sayigh from Carnegie Middle East Center, and Dimitrios Triantaphyllou from Kadir Has University. The debate focused on the state of play in the Middle East, centering on Syria, Iraq and the prospects of the Islamic State.

2015 International Neighbourhood Symposium 23-28 June 2015

Panel Discussion on “Iran’s return to the international community: Is it a peace to end the tensions or a return to power politics?

14 April 2015

The Center for International and European Studies (CIES) at Kadir Has University hosted the 5th International Neighbourhood Symposium (INS) at Heybeliada, near Istanbul between Tuesday, 23 June and Sunday, 28 June 2015. This year’s Symposium focused on “Leadership and Change in the Eastern Neighbourhood and the Mediterranean South”. The 2015 International Neighbourhood Symposium aimed to discuss, assess, and understand these developments through the prism of leadership and change.

Consequently, each presentation and discussion focused on the themes of leadership and change in order to present fresh perspectives on the issues and to challenge the participants as they debated these.

The Center for International and European Studies (CIES) at Kadir Has University, held a panel discussion on 14 April 2015 on “Iran’s return to the international community: Is it a peace to end the tensions or a return to power politics?” with participation of Aslı Aydıntaşbaş from Milliyet, Cengiz Çandar from Radikal & Al-Monitor, Ahmet K. Han from Kadir Has University, Mustafa Kibaroğlu from MEF University & EDAM and Soli Özel from Kadir Has University & Haber Turk.. After the negotiations between Iran and five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany, namely P5+1, the Iran nuclear deal framework was announced at the meeting held in Lausanne, Switzerland on 2 April. The focus of the discussion was on the national and regional implications of this accord, which US President Barack Obama defined as ‘once in a lifetime opportunity’.

Roundtable Discussion on “Is Greek-Turkish Rapprochement Leading Both Countries Closer to Europe?”

6 May 2015 The Center for International and European Studies (CIES) at Kadir Has University, in cooperation with the Friedrich Naumann Foundation and with the support of the European Liberal Forum, held a roundtable discussion on 6 May 2015 at Kadir Has University. By taking the state of affairs in both countries into consideration, not only their respective situation but also the bilateral relations between Greece and Turkey will play a bigger role for the future of the European Union. As CIES we thought it was highly topical to discuss political developments in both countries in the light of the bilateral relations. With this roundtable, we aimed to gather experts from both sides to nourish the exchange between them prior to Turkey’s parliamentary elections.

Panel Discussion on “CIES Elections Panel Discussion Series 5: The Greek Elections of 25 January and their Implications: A Debate” 4 February 2015 The Center for International and European Studies (CIES) at Kadir Has University, in cooperation with the Greek History and Culture Study Group at Boğaziçi University, held a panel discussion on 4 February 2015 at Kadir Has University. The debate focused on the 25 January elections in Greece and their implications on Greek domestic and foreign policy.

Key Strategies in Countering Extremism: Experiences from the MENA Region and Pakistan 30 April 2015 The Center for International and European Studies (CIES) at Kadir Has University, the Hollings Center for International Dialogue, and the EastWest Institute co-organized a panel discussion on Key Strategies in Countering Extremism: Experiences from the MENA region and Pakistan on 30 April 2015 at Kadir Has University with the participation of Manal Omar from Middle East and Africa Center, United States Institute of Peace, Shafqat Mehmood from PAIMAN (Pakistan Initiative for Mothers and Newborns) Alumni Trust and Prof. Serhat Güvenç from Kadir Has University.

The abuse of religion as a pretense to justify violence is not a new phenomenon, but it has come very close to home for a lot of people in the past few years. The frequency of violent attacks making headlines is very discomforting, and is proof that extremist interpretations of religion are spreading wide. Different opinions abound on the root causes of extremism and its appeal, but international coordination on strategies to counter it are relatively recent. Panelists discussed these strategies and the role of different actors could play in preventing the appeal of extremist ideologies.

Seminar on “Why is the TurkeyArmenia Border Closed? – Reasons and Consequences” 12 March 2015 The Center for International and European Studies (CIES) at Kadir Has University, held a seminar on 12 March 2015. The seminar titled “Why is the Turkey-Armenia Border Closed?

– Reasons and Consequences” was held in Turkish.

Event also had a broad repercussion in press, you can find the press coverages of event by following links.

Türkiye Ermenistan sınırına diaspora engeli "Türkiyə-Ermənistan sərhədi hansı səbəbdən bağlıdır?" konfransı keçiriləcək

Food for Diplomacy 14 April 2015 Kadir Has University’s Lifelong Learning Center, in collaboration with its Chef School, and The Center for International and European Studies (CIES) at Kadir Has University, inter alia, organizes a series of monthly dinner meetings throughout 2014-2015 academic year, with the overall theme of “Food for Diplomacy”. The fifth meeting took place on 14 April 2015 at The Kadir Has University’s ChefSchool Restaurant. Chef Xekalou cooked singular dishes exemplifying the Greek and Cretan culinary culture, for a select group of guests from Turkey and Greece.The guest speaker was H.E. Yannis Boutaris, the Mayor of Thessaloniki. He spoke about “The role of culture in the rapprochement between Greece and Turkey”.

Discussion on “The Latvian Presidency of the European Union and the State of EU-Turkey Relations” 21 January 2015

The Center for International and European Studies (CIES) at Kadir Has University, in cooperation with the Centre for Economics and Foreign Policy Studies (EDAM) and with the support of the Embassy of Latvia in Turkey, hosted a discussion on the priorities of the Latvian Presidency of the European Union and the future of EU-Turkey relations on 21 January 2015 at Kadir Has University. The CIES Director Dimitrios Triantaphyllou and HE Mr. Atis Sjanīts, Ambassador of the Republic of Latvia to Turkey delivered brief welcome addresses.

Expert Task Force on the European Union and the Black Sea Region July 2014 – January 2016 The Center for International and European Studies (CIES) at Kadir Has University, in cooperation with the German Marshall Fund established a Task Force comprised of key experts, to provide policy outputs and recommendations for an EU strategy for the Black Sea Region. The first meeting of the Expert Task Force was held in Istanbul on Friday, 19 September 2014. The second took place at the German Marshall Fund’s Berlin office on Wednesday, 26 November 2014 and the third meeting was held at the European Policy Centre's Brussels office on Thursday, 29 January 2015.

All for Rights, Rights for All October 2014-December 2015 The All for Rights, Rights for All Project funded by Civil Society Dialogue between EU and Turkey – III: Political Criteria Grant Scheme is led and implemented by the Turkey Youth Union Association in partnership with the Center for International and European Studies (CIES) and Romania Partners Foundation for Local Development (FPDL). This 14 month long Project aims to strengthen cooperation between Youth NGOs and Disabled People’s Organization in the area of rights of disabled people. A study visit to Romania was organized in 6-9 May 2015. The project team visited NGOs working in the area of disability and related public organizations to learn about their activities and experiences in Bucharest. Trainings organized in Ankara for representatives of Youth NGOs and Disabled People’s Organizations in the next phase of the project.

For detailed information on the project: http://haklarherkesicin.org/ (Turkish)

Neighbourhood Policy Papers The CIES published 3 new Neighbourhood Policy Papers. The Neighbourhood Policy Paper Series, jointly published with The Black Sea Trust for Regional Cooperation (BST), is made possible by a grant issued by the BST. The papers that have been published so far have been translated into Russian and distributed among our contacts and through our partners. The latest papers that have been published:

Neighbourhood Policy Paper 14 “A Polish-Romanian-Turkish Triangle and the Black Sea Region - A New Driving Force of Regional Integration?” by Adam Balcer (June 2015) “Польско-Румыно-Турецкий Треугольник И Черноморский Регион – Новая Движущая Сила Региональной Интеграции?” (Russian Version)

Neighbourhood Policy Paper 15 “The European Neighbourhood Policy's Eastern Dimension: The Impact of the Ukrainian Crisis”

by Mykola Kapitonenko (July 2015) ВОСТОЧНОЕ ИЗМЕРЕНИЕ ЕВРОПЕЙСКОЙ УКРАИНСКОГО КРИЗИСA (Russian Version)

ПОЛИТИКИ

СОСЕДСТВА:

ВЛИЯНИЕ

Neighbourhood Policy Paper 16 “Weapons of Mass Destruction: A Persisting Security Challenge to the Black Sea Region” by Igor Delanoë (July 2015) “ОРУЖИЕ МАССОВОГО ПОРАЖЕНИЯ: ВЫЗОВ СОХРАНЯЮЩЕЙСЯ БЕЗОПАСНОСТИ В ЧЕРНОМОРСКОМ РЕГИОНЕ” (Russian Version )

CIES Policy Briefs CIES Policy Briefs are short and informative expert analyses and commentary on some of the contemporary and pressing international relations challenges. They are designed to bring background and recommendations to policy-makers, government officials, academics, journalists and the general public.

CIES Policy Brief 03

Azerbaijan - Georgia - Turkey: An Example of a Successful Regional Cooperation by Mitat Çelikpala & Cavid Veliyev (December 2015 ) ( English ) Azerbaycan-Gürcistan-Türkiye: Bölgesel İşbirliğinin Başarı Örneği (Azerbaijan-Georgia-Turkey: An Example of Successful Regional Cooperation) by Mitat Çelikpala & Cavid Veliyev (March 2015)

CIES Commentary Series

The CIES Commentary series offers op ed style insights (1000-2000 words) on topical issues of interest to the research areas the CIES focuses on. The views expressed are attributable only to the author in a personal capacity and not to any institution with which he is associated. New commentaries are soon to be published.

UPCOMING EVENTS

February 2016: 4th Meeting of the Task Force on the European Union and the Eastern Neighbourhood (Istanbul, Turkey) 11 February 2016: Quatery Partited Meeting of NGO Experts in Cyprus, Greece and Turkey 21-26 June 2016: 6th International Neighbourhood Symposium

Center for International and European Studies (CIES) Kadir Has University, Kadir Has Caddesi, 34230 Cibali/ISTANBUL Tel: +90 212 533 65 32 / 4608-9 Fax: +90 212 531 38 53 E-mail: cies@khas.edu.tr Web: http://cies.khas.edu.tr

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