Webinar -TURKEY- IZMIR UNIVERSITY OF ECONOMIC – Hans-Olaf HENKEL

FMA member Hans-Olaf Henkel participated in a webinar in Izmir university of Economic on 22th May.

The topic of the discussion was the Strategies against the Corona recession: recommendations for the EU and Turkey.

“The EU and Turkey decided to move apart from each other. However, every crisis also provides elements for new options. The departure of Britain from the EU and the non-membership of Turkey in the EU opens the gate for another partnership at the EU’s borders.” By Hans Olaf Henkel

EURAC Report

Seminar on EU’s economic policies and relations with Turkey

Hans-Olaf Henkel, Member of the European Parliament 2014 – 19, President of the Federation of German Industries 1995-2001, and President of IBM Germany 1987-2003 and of IBM Europe, Middle East & Africa 1993 – 95, Professor at the University of Mannheim 2001-2010, held an EURAC Online Seminar on 22 May 2020 on the EU’s economic policies and EU-Turkey relations. He characterised the Corona recession as the biggest economic crisis in the Europe since the end of WW2, but expressed his scepticism regarding the currently discussed monetary transfers from the EU budget to the most crisis-affected member states. As regards EU-Turkey relations, he is convinced that Turkey’s full membership would create an economic win-win situation for both sides. However, he said that due to the political alienation, membership cannot be realised for a long time.

The European Parliament Former Members Association through its ‘EP to Campus’ programme, which is in part sponsored by CANDRIAM, has supported the seminar. 60 Bachelor- and Master-students, faculty of the Political Science and International Relations Department, as well as guests from further universities in Izmir attended the event.