‘Turkey and Britain: Allies in Dangerous Neighbourhoods’

Centre for Turkey Studies

CTS Westminster Forum

‘Turkey and Britain: Allies in Dangerous Neighbourhoods’

Guest speaker: Mr. Suat Kiniklioglu, AKP, Turkey

Director of the Centre for Strategic Communication; Member of the AKP Central Executive Committee;

former AKP Deputy Chairman of External Affairs, Spokesman of the Foreign Affairs Committee and Chairman of the Turkey-US Inter-Parliamentary Friendship Group            

Chair: Siddik Bakir, Adviser, Centre for Turkey Studies

Date: 1 May 2012

Location: Committee Rom 6, House of Commons, Palace of Westminster

Time: 7-9pm

Turkey’s Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu once described Turkey’s foreign policy as ‘zero problems with its neighbour’ policy. But at a time when the EU "enlargement fatigue" still leaves Ankara outside the ‘Christian Club’, as the EU is often characterised in Turkey, and a period in which the Middle East is undergoing major social, political and economic transformations – can we still speak of zero problems? Turkey has witnessed outstanding economic growth (GDP growth of 8.5% in 2011) but can it continue its open-door trade policy with an unstable Syria, challenging Iran and multi-ethnic and multi-sectarian Iraq in its backyard? And how can Britain engage best with Turkey - an important NATO ally? It seems, though, as if Britain itself seems to be part of a challenging EU neighbourhood of which Britain is viewed at times as insider and other times as outsider. 

The CTS is delighted to welcome Mr Suat Kiniklioglu, our guest speaker from Turkey who will discuss how Turkey an Britain operate as allies in ‘dangerous neighbourhoods’. 

This CTS Westminster Forum will be hosted by Jonathan Reynolds, Labour MP for Stalybridge and Hyde First. 

This CTS event is free and open to all. If you would like to attend, please RSVP by email to: info@centre-for-turkey-studies.org