Between May 14 and 19, two highly regarded Turkish policy analysts — Hasan Cemal, a columnist at Milliyet, and Soli Ozel, Professor at Bilgi University and a columnist at Sabah — visited Washington and Brussels on the invitation of the German Marshall Fund in order to meet with American and European Union officials and brief audiences on the Turkish political scene.

In Washington, Cemal and Ozel headlined a luncheon on Capitol Hill for U.S. Congress staffers and NGO representatives.  A few days later, a panel discussion in Brussels attracted journalists, policy analysts, and government officials.

The discussions were dominated by the domestic Turkish politics in light of the upcoming presidential elections and possible early parliamentary elections and by growing Turkish nationalism.

Cemal argued that the current pro-Islamist and anti-American discourse of AKParty is more of a popular discourse and shaped by the electoral period.  He repeatedly asserted that, given the existence of long-standing democratic and secular institutions of Turkey, it is not possible to Islamize the regime.  The best possible option for Turkey is to remain on the EU track.  Through the EU accession process, whether it becomes a member or not, Turkey will continue to modernize and achieve economic growth.

Ozel added that conservatism and anti-Western public opinion is mainly due to the dislocation and unemployment resulting from modernization and transformation brought by the EU accession process (for example, reforming the agriculture sector or closing down small shops).  However, amelioration within the society depends on the triangular dialogue between Turkey, the United States. and the EU and on the way the West exposes itself to Turkey.  Regarding foreign policy, each discussion stressed Turkey's importance for the United States to further its interests in the Greater Middle East and the Black Sea Region.