Discussants

• Güven Sak, Managing Director, The Economic Policy Research Foundation of Turkey (TEPAV)
• Ian Lesser, Vice President, The German Marshall Fund of the United States
• Özgür Ünlühisarcıklı, Director of the Ankara Office, The German Marshall Fund of the United States
• Elena Lazarou, Senior Policy Analyst, External Policies Unit of the European Parliamentary Research Service (EPRS)

Moderator

• Kadri Taştan, TOBB Senior Fellow, The German Marshall Fund of the United States

The U.S.–Turkey relationship has deteriorated to a new low. The United States recently imposed sanctions on two Turkish ministers and doubled down on higher tariffs after Turkey apparently refused to release imprisoned American pastor Brunson. The announcement of these measures led the Turkish lira’s value to plummet even further, alarming markets and adding pressure on the Turkish government. Searching for ways to end the currency devaluation, in accordance with its significance for the Turkish economy, Ankara now turns toward the EU. However, Turkey–EU relations are also in crisis. Even though some European politicians expressed willingness to help Turkey, their priority is to prevent negative consequences of Turkey's issues for the EU itself. These developments have enabled EU actors to more forcefully critique Turkey’s human rights record and the rule of law, adding additional pressure on the Turkish government.

The discussion will analyze the state of Turkey–U.S. relations, assess Turkey’s economic fragilities, and gauge the likeliness and plausibility of a rapprochement between Turkey and the EU.

This roundtable discussion is part of a series of events and analyses organized as part of the GMF-TOBB Fellowship on Turkey, Europe, and Global Issues, launched by GMF in partnership with the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey (TOBB).

Please note that this is an invitation-only event. The discussion will be under Chatham House Rule.

If you have any questions, please contact Tobias Kutschka at tkutschka@gmfus.org.