Turkey and the European Union: a Reassessment

The Study Centre on the European Union within the University of Pavia promotes scholarly research in the area of European studies. Historians, economists, lawyers and social scientists work at our University and at the Centre on both the external dimension of the EU and on the interaction between national politics of the member states within the European framework. As part of the activities of Pavia University and the Centre for 2012, in collaboration with the newly established International Center for Contemporary Turkish Studies (ICCT) based in Milan, we have organized the International Conference "Turkey and the European Union: a Reassessment", taking place at Pavia University on June, 6th 2012.

The main aim of the Conference is to promote a reassessment of current relations between Turkey and the European Union in an interdisciplinary and multifaceted framework. The Conference will be structured around three main panels. In the first panel we will analyze historical and political issues: the history of Turkey's candidature to the EC/EU, the perceptions of public opinions both in Turkey and in the EC/EU and security and civil- military perspectives. In the second panel we will explore the international scenario of Turkey/EU relations: the internal and external influences, the Cyprus question and the new framework of Arab revolutions. Finally, in the third panel we will investigate the opportunities which enlargement of the EU's economic area can offer, the obstacles to the process of integration and Turkey's accession as an opportunity/ challenge for EU's political and economic governance.