The Turkish Foreign Policy Institute has commemorated its 30th anniversary organizing a three day international conference on “Turkish Foreign Policy Preparing for Europe” on October 21-23, 2004 at Bilkent University.

The Conference was held under the patronage of H. E. Mr. Abdullah Gül, Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister, and he addressed the Conference evaluating the recent developments in Turkey’s relations with EU. Panel discussions started with an address by H. E. Mr. Süleyman Demirel, 9th President of the Republic. Ms. Alyson Bailes, Director of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), Mr. J. J. Van Dijk, member of the Commission of Foreign Affairs of the Dutch Parliament, Prof. Werner Gumpel, Director of the Institute of Eastern and South East Europe in Munich, Prof. Efraim Inbar, Director of the Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies in Israel, Dr. Wolfgang Schallenberg, President of the Austrian Foreign Policy and International Relations Institute and Dr. Rainer Schwarzer, Director of the Hans-Seidel Stiftung of Germany also commented on the introductory addresses.

The Conference, continued with a seminar at Bilkent Hotel mostly for participants from new EU members from East and Middle Europe and two accession countries. The participants were provided with information on Turkish efforts for harmonization, on economic aspects of prospective Turkish membership in EU and on Turkey’s significance in its immediate neighbourhood.