“The Political Economy of Turkey-United Kingdom Relations: Capacity and Performance of Non-EU Alternative Cooperation” Online Panel
Turkey – United Kingdom bilateral relations has a multidimensional structure. United Kingdom is one of the leading partners of Turkey in Europe which together in membership of the same organizations such as the NATO, the European Council, the G20, OECD. Developments in the Middle East, Cyprus, new relations order between Turkey and UK after Turkey’s European Union (EU) membership process and United Kingdom’s seperation process (Brexit), cooperation in security, counter-terrorism and irregular immigration fields, collaboration in economy and defense industry are priority issues in bileteral relations.
The United Kingdom supports our country’s EU membership as a nonpartisan state policy, although it has left the EU membership. On the other hand, factors such as the similar attitudes towards faced international problems, close military cooperation at the NATO Alliance and bilateral level, and the increasing trade volume clearly show the point the relations have reached.
The United Kingdom is the second country to which we export the most and the ninth country to which we import the most, according to 2019 data. The UK remained our sixth largest trading partner, with a 4.4% share, despite the decline.
Turkey is one of the countries which UK maintain the current level of bileteral relations and aim to develop relations further levels after “Brexit” period. After Brexit process UK has to make new regulations in commercial area, against the possibility of end partnership in Customs Union, UK aiming to continue commercial activities with Turkey with signing new treaties including Free Trade Agreement. Initiatives which has mutual benefits can create new areas of economic challenge for Turkey who is member of the Customs Union and negotiating for EU’s full membership.
UK always be one of the less effected countries by fluctuating relations between West and Turkey. During this times two countries improved diplomatic and economic channels which today actively used. Economy politic realities and alternative approaches in two countires relations which are aiming to reorganize relations with Europe will affect not only Turkey – UK relations but also affect short term regional developments as a multidimensional event.
Topics to be discussed:
- Free Trade Agreement, Customs Exemption and Direct Investment Policy
- Foreign Trade Balance, Fragility and Instability
- Cooperation in International Institutions like NATO, G20, OECD etc.
- Coordination in EU Policies
- Defense Industry Partnership
- Mediterranean Partnership and Eastern Mediterranean Initiative
Speakers
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Christopher W. J. GAUNT OBEThe British Chamber of Commerce in TurkeyChris Gaunt is a highly accomplished and respected businessman with invaluable international experience across several business sectors.
His career has spanned more than thirty years in the Beverage industry in both the UK and Internationally. Initially with the Whitbread Brewery Group, progressing to senior management positions with HP Bulmer and Allied Domecq, followed by a fifteen year international career with Coca- Cola.
In 1993, Chris embarked on his International career and moved to Croatia as a consultant with Coopers and Lybrand to work on a major restructuring project for a newly privatized group of FMCG companies. In 1995 he joined Coca-Cola initially in Croatia, followed by Senior Management/GM positions in Eastern Europe and start-up operations in Central Asia.
Chris returned to Croatia in 1999 to serve as Country CEO of Carlsberg International’s brewing operations prior to joining the Efes Beverage Group; a subsidiary of Istanbul based Anadolu Holdings, as the General Manager of operations in Bulgaria.
He was later appointed President of Efes Invest (Anadolu/Coca-Cola joint venture) in 2001, responsible for Coca-Cola Bottling operations in South Caucasus, Central Asia and Middle East.
Following the merger in 2005 of Efes Invest and Coca-Cola Icecek (CCI) Turkey and the subsequent IPO, he was appointed Chief Operating Officer of the NewCo. In 2007, he was appointed President of CCI International Operations (10 countries) from which position he retired from CCI in 2011. He then set up his own consultancy company “Euroasia Consultancy” based in Istanbul.
In January 2013, Chris was appointed Vice Chairman of the British Chamber of Commerce Turkey and elected Chairman in July 2013.
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Prof. Dr. Sedat AYBARBahcesehir UniversityGraduated from Dokuz Eylül University International Economics Department, Prof. Dr. Sedat Aybar received his master’s and doctoral degrees from London University SOAS.
Aybar, who was an Assistant Professor and Associate Professor at Kadir Has University, is currently the Head of the Department of Economics and Finance, Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences, Istanbul Aydın University, Africa Application and Research Center.
He is also the Director of the Chinese Studies Application and Research Center.
In 1996, Aybar served as a consultant for the Overseas Development Organization (ODI) in the ‘Investigation of the Financial Investment Decisions of Institutional Investors in Sub-Saharan Africa’ project.
Aybar, who is a researcher in the project of the preparation of training programs and audio-vision programs for 1200 expert economists working at the IMF, took part in the project of preparing a training program and application guide on Open Market Operations financed by the United Nations for Ethiopian Central Bank employees. In 2005, he consulted the Central Bank of Moldova on financial reform.
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