IKV Member of the Board of Director
Dr. Zeynel Abidin Erdem, has been elected as IKV Member of the Board of Director at IKV ‘s 53rd General Assembly held on 6 th July 2015.
Ömer Cihad Vardan, who has been acting as IKV Chairman since 16 January 2014, left his post to Ayhan Zeytinoğlu, who is the Chairman of Kocaeli Chamber of Industry.
New members of IKV : Prof.Dr. Haluk Kabaalioğlu, Işınsu Kestelli, Atilla Menevşe, Ahmet Sayar, Yavuz Canevi, Zeynel Abidin Erdem, İlhan Koyunseven, Zeynep Bodur Okyay, Sedat Zincirkıran, Ali Sami Aydın, Sami Yılmaz, İlhan Soylu, Şükrü Alkan, Cenk Yöney, Simone Kaslowski ve İsmail Gülle.
About İKV
Economic Development Foundation (IKV) was established on the initiative of Istanbul Chamber of Commerce and Istanbul Chamber of Industry in 1965, in order to inform the Turkish business world and the public about developments in the European Union (EU) and Turkey-EU relations. Since its establishment, IKV has become a respectable and effective specialized organization on EU and Turkey-EU relations both in Turkey and in the EU, through its seminars, researches, publications, lobbying activities and the close cooperation it has conducted with foreign and domestic institutions.
Over the years, IKV has broadened the area of its activities as well as the number of its trustee institutions and supporters, in parallel to the developments in Turkey-EU relations. Particularly, following the confirmation of Turkey's candidacy for EU membership at Helsinki Summit in December 1999, IKV intensified its activities taking into account the requirements of the membership process. IKV, with the support of the representative organizations of the Turkish business world, has also undertaken the task of coordinating the relations of Turkish business world with the EU and the government in the areas concerning Turkey-EU relations.
As agreed on December 17 2004 by the heads of state and government of the 25 EU member states, accession negotiations with Turkey started on the 3rd of October 2005. In the course of this important and challenging process, IKV's activities are focused on informing the Turkish public concerning the issues formulating the agenda of European Union and Turkey-EU relations. Special emphasis will be given to the accession negotiations; ensuring the active participation of the business world and NGOs in the process; and promoting Turkey in the EU members.
Objectives;
- To contribute to the economic and social development of Turkey;
- To carry out the work necessary in order to assist Turkey to develop relations with other countries, economic groups and in particular with the EU;
- To inform the Turkish public and in particular Turkish private sector and business world on EU and Turkey-EU relations;
- To publish studies prepared by IKV or studies commissioned to specialized organizations;
- To ensure cooperation and coordination within the business world in Turkey as well as abroad;
- To formulate opinions concerning Turkey-EU relations, through cooperation and exchange of information with all interested public and private organizations;
- To continuously follow the developments in the EU, and to inform the public about the effects of these developments on Turkey;
- To promote Turkey abroad.
Activities;
- To organize seminars, conferences and colloquia on issues concerning EU and Turkey-EU relations;
- To prepare comprehensive studies and publications;
- To develop projects contributing to Turkey-EU integration process;
- To promote, in close cooperation with various domestic and foreign individuals and organizations, Turkey in EU and EU within Turkish private sector and the public.
- Research and Publications: Since its establishment the number of research published by IKV, in all areas of EU and Turkey-EU relations, now approaches 550. Among the various research carried out are: "EU Acquis and Turkey's Harmonization Series", "Glossary of Basic Concepts on EU and Turkey-EU Relations", "The Benefits of EU Membership to Turkey's Citizens", "15 EU Policies in 15 Questions", "Misconceptions on EU and Turkey-EU Relations", "The Effects of the Customs Union on Turkey's Economy", "European Union Funds Available for Turkey, A User's Guide", "Turkey's Participation in European Community Programmers", "A Guide to Accession Negotiations with the European Union", "Copenhagen Economic Criteria and Turkey".