Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey

The 40^th Turkey-EU Joint Consultative Committee (JCC) meeting was held in İzmir. The meeting was moderated by M. Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu, TOBB President and Co-Chair of the Turkey-EU Joint Consultative Committee; TR Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Director for EU Affairs Ambassador Faruk Kaymakcı; Member of the European Economic and Social Committee, Co-Chairman of the Turkey-EU Joint Consultative Committee Peter Clever, Head of the EU Delegation to Turkey Ambassador Nikolaus Meyer-Landrut; and Head of the European Economic and Social Committee, Head of the Department of Foreign Relations Dimitris Dimitriadis attended the meeting. Maciej Popowski, Deputy Director General of European Neighbourhood Policies and Enlargement Negotiations, attended the meeting via video conference.

M. Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu, TOBB President and Co-Chair of the Turkey-EU Joint Consultative Committee, stated that the Turkish Wing of the JCC has always been a strong supporter of Turkey's relations with the EU. Hisarcıklıoğlu explained that Turkey and EU relations need closer dialogue more than ever. “‎Since 1995, the Turkey-EU JCC has managed to come together in good times and difficult times. ‎Today, we convene once again united to show our support for the dialogue between Turkey and the EU. The customs union has been the most important tool in the transformation of the Turkish economy. Accession negotiations have expanded this further. We have all felt the positive impact of the accession negotiations in many areas. We had an agenda that allowed us to think of a common future for both the EU and Turkey. Unfortunately, relations between Turkey and the EU have stagnated in recent years. On the other hand, we all know we need each other. It is not possible to continue the current situation as it is.”

- Need for improved cooperation

Hisarcıklıoğlu said that co-operation on Syrian refugees is not deep enough to help think of a common future again as a positive agenda item, and underlined the need to take co-operation further. Hisarcıklıoğlu said: “In my opinion, the ‘Green Deal’ presented by President Ursula von der Leyen should be considered as a key to the positive agenda. We see the modernization of the customs union during the Green Deal as a step that we now need very much and that will strengthen relations. These two are connected. This will also help business in both Turkey and the EU. Because the Green Deal process is a structure that will radically change the agenda of customs union modernization. In addition, as the EU-JCC, we consider disaster management as an area of close co-operation. We're starting to see the negative effects of climate change. This summer's forest fires have badly affected Turkey, Greece and other Mediterranean countries. Floods in Turkey, Germany and other EU member states were also a common concern. The earthquake became a common issue for both Turkey and Greece. This also led to a common solidarity between the people of both countries.”

- Funds should be increased

Underlining some of the issues that are key to the positive agenda, TOBB President and Co-Chair of the Turkey-EU Joint Consultative Committee M. Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu stated that Turkey's NGOs have benefited from EU-Turkey financial co-operation for many years, but the amount of these funds has decreased. Pointing out that Turkey has to transform its economy in order to adapt to the Green Deal, circular economy and digitalization, Hisarcıklıoğlu said, “Therefore, we ask for your support to increase the amount of such support funds. Visa dialogue for all Turkish citizens, but especially for the business world, must succeed. We need your support here, too. As you know, the EU is Turkey's number one trading partner. Turkey is EU's sixth largest trading partner. Most of our trade is done by land transportation. Our trade lines to and from the EU face transit quotas. This negatively affects both costs and delivery times. We still need your support to resolve this issue. We must re-energize Turkey and the EU accession process. As Turkey's civil society, we are here to support all kinds of constructive initiatives. There are many issues on which we can contribute to this process.”

- Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Director for EU Affairs Ambassador Faruk Kaymakcı

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Director for EU Affairs Ambassador Faruk Kaymakcı said of Turkey's EU process, “Turkey is not actually moving away, it is where it used to be, but Turkey is being pushed away because of the actions of some member states. We definitely want Turkey to be evaluated from a membership perspective.”

Expressing their hope to maintain the positive agenda, Kaymakcı said:

“The positive agenda is something that needs to be worked out. Full membership is an important perspective. We know that's not going to happen tomorrow. If Turkey is asked to proceed on a reformist path, and is expected to act within the Copenhagen criteria, halting the full accession process is a source of demotivation. Turkey is not actually moving away, it used to be, but Turkey is being pushed away due to the actions of some member states. We definitely want Turkey to be evaluated from a membership perspective. But you know the Customs Union needs to be updated. In today's applications there are asymmetry and there are points that cause problems in terms of trade. But it is important to maintain the positive agenda between the EU and Turkey. It's important to have high-level meetings. Unfortunately, the suspension of our membership process for political reasons has been a demotivational practice for us.”

- Other speakers

Peter Clever, Member of the European Economic and Social Committee and Co-Chair of the Turkey-EU Joint Consultative Committee, said that despite all the difficulties faced by countries, they have to keep their communication channels open. Today, two issues need to be focused on, Clever said, “‎The first is changes in joint disaster management.‎ We must have the same equipment and training. And in doing so, we need permission. The other is making the economy green; it's a necessity for all of us. We are currently acting in the Paris Agreement, we are happy with it, there is so much we can do together.”

- Landrut praises Turkey for Syrians refugee response

Ambassador Nikolaus Meyer-Landrut, Head of the EU Delegation to Turkey, expressed his pleasure to be in İzmir and wished the meeting would prove productive.

Nikolaus Meyer-Landrut stressed that they all face serious problems as countries, one is climate change and the other is migration.

“In terms of climate change, we welcomed Turkey's signing of the Paris Agreement. We're moving forward with this now. In that sense, I thank the authorities. Energy, transportation, environment, agriculture and education have been the basis of our financial agreements to date. Natural disaster issues are also an important issue, we often encounter various events in this regard. As for migration, I would like to underline once again that Turkey has been a great host since the beginning of the Syrian crisis. Currently, 3.7 million Syrian migrants have been received, according to official records. Various committees for migrants have been established in Turkey. 4.3 billion euros in aid has already been provided. It is clear how much work needs to be done in Afghanistan, it was very important for Turkey to stop irregular migration flows through Belarus.”

Dimitris Dimitriadis, Head of the Foreign Relations Department of the European Economic and Social Committee, and Maciej Popowski, deputy director general of EU Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations, also spoke online.