7th Annual Sakıp Sabancı Conference

The seventh edition of the traditional Sakıp Sabancı Conference, organized in collaboration with IPM and the Brookings Institution, was held in April 2011. The keynote speaker at the conference was Javier Solana, former High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy of the European Union, who drew attention to recent developments concerning Turkey, Europe, and the world in 2011. Solana stated that relations between Europe and Turkey should be deepened and should not be limited to talks at the negotiating table. Kemal Derviş, Member of the IPM Executive Board and Director of the Brookings Institution's Global Economy and Development Program, commented on Solana's speech, highlighting the following points: "The EU Accession Project is Not Just an End in Itself, But a Big Step Toward a Better Global Order for Tomorrow (It’s Important to Remember That the EU Accession Project is Not Just an End in Itself, But a Big Step to a Better Global Order for Tomorrow).” Senior Expert and Sabancı University faculty member Ayşe Kadıoğlu moderated the discussion among listeners who joined the Washington speech via video conference from Sabancı University.