serdar altay

This paper analyses the process to upgrade the 20-year-old Customs Union between the European Union (EU) and Turkey from the Turkish perspective by exploring potential integration scenarios tabled by the European Commission. The scenarios tabled by the European Commission (EC) are qualitatively examined in a comparative fashion by reviewing potential outcomes and expectations of the two sides from the process as publicly declared in different resources. The paper finds that there is substantial asymmetry between expectations as well as potential costs and benefits to be reaped for the two parties. Firstly, by upgrading the Customs Union, Turkey hopes to join the USA-EU free trade agreement (FTA), known as the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP). Secondly, Ankara hopes to overcome the “asymmetry” challenges of the existing Customs Union such as the problem for Turkey not to be able to engage in the EU’s FTAs simultaneously. On the other hand, the EU expects the upgrade process to ensure a series of economic gains by expanding the agreement to new areas of agriculture, services, and public procurement, and to create an enforcement mechanism (i.e. a Dispute Settlement Mechanism) that would address the problem of Turkey’s non-compliance with CU obligations. The paper asserts that the potential scenarios on the negotiation table will address the EU’s expectations rather than the expectations and interests of Turkey. If the two parties upgrade the Customs Union upon one of the scenarios proposed by the European Commission, the EU will have ensured almost all possible economic benefits from Turkey’s further integration into the EU, with very little costs and no need to offering Turkey full membership. In this regard, an upgraded Customs Union may become a permanent but unsatisfactory instrument, rather than a temporary deal towards membership. The new deal will likely materialize the “privileged partnership” between Turkey and the EU, an option which has long been promoted in Europe by circles that are against Turkey’s EU accession. Therefore, the negotiation scenarios currently on the table may cause a risk of distancing Turkey from the perspective of EU membership.

OZET Turkiye-AB Gumruk Birligi’nin Turk ekonomi ve politikalarina etkilerini inceleyen az sayida ve kapsamli olmayan calisma bulunmaktadir. Bu calismalar anlasmanin kamu alimlari alanina tesmilinin etkilerini dikkate almamistir. Esasen yeni nesil Tercihli Ticaret Anlasmalarina (TTA) iliskin kuresel literatur derin entegrasyon ve kamu alimlari gibi “DTO-arti” konularin yurtici mevzuat rejimleri ve pazarlara etkilerini anlama konusunda yararli bakis ve araclar sunmaktadir.  Bu cercevede bu makale Turkiye-AB Gumruk Birligi’ne kamu alimlari kurallarinin dahil edilmesinin yurtici politika ve pazarlara etkisini disiplinlerarasi bir perspektifle incelemektedir. Makale Gumruk Birligi’nin derinlestirilmesinin sadece Turkiye’nin transatlantik ticaret duzeni ve DTO-arti ajandasina bagliligini teyit etmekle kalmayip ayni zamanda yeni ulusal kalkinma politikalarinda ciddi bir revizyonu da kabullenmesi anlamina gelecegini savunmaktadir. Kamu alimlari konusunun Gumruk Birligi’ne dahil edilmesi iki...

AB-Turkiye Gumruk Birligi 2.0: Ayricalikli Ortakliga Dogru EU-Turkey Customs Union 2.0: Toward Privileged Partnership Dr. Serdar Altay Misafir Ogretim Uyesi, Ekonomi Bolumu, Istanbul Teknik Universitesi & Strateji ve Ar-Ge Koordinatoru, Basbakanlik Turkiye Yatirim Destek ve Tanitim Ajansi OZET Bu makale Turkiye ve AB arasinda 20 yildir yururlukte olan Gumruk Birligi’nin guncellenmesi surecini Avrupa Komisyonu (AK) tarafindan onerilen senaryolar isiginda Turk tarafinin perspektifinden inceleyerek analiz etmektedir. AK tarafindan onerilen senaryolar nitel olarak her bir senaryonun potansiyel sonuclari ve iki tarafin kamuoyunda aciklanan beklentileriyle kiyaslamali olarak incelenmistir. Makale, potensiyel sonuclarin iki tarafin beklentileri ve taraflar acisindan olasi maliyet ve faydalar acisindan ciddi bir asimetriye yok actigini ortaya koymaktadir. Turkiye’nin Gumruk Birligi guncellemesinden birincil beklentisi TTIP adi verilen ABD-AB STA’sina girebilmektir. Ikinci olarak, Ankara Gum...

Derin Entegrasyon Ve “Dto-Arti” Gundemi Isiginda Turkiye-Ab Gumruk Birligi’nin Kamu Alimlarina Genisletilmesi Ve Etkileri Expansion of Turkish-EU Customs Union to Public Procurement and its Effects on Turkey in Light of Deep Integration and The “WTO-Plus” Agenda Dr. Serdar Altay Misafir Ogretim Uyesi, Ekonomi Bolumu, Istanbul Teknik Universitesi & Strateji ve Ar-Ge Koordinatoru, Basbakanlik Turkiye Yatirim Destek ve Tanitim Ajansi OZET Turkiye-AB Gumruk Birligi’nin Turk ekonomi ve politikalarina etkilerini inceleyen az sayida ve kapsamli olmayan calisma bulunmaktadir. Bu calismalar anlasmanin kamu alimlari alanina tesmilinin etkilerini dikkate almamistir. Esasen yeni nesil Tercihli Ticaret Anlasmalarina (TTA) iliskin kuresel literatur derin entegrasyon ve kamu alimlari gibi “DTO-arti” konularin yurtici mevzuat rejimleri ve pazarlara etkilerini anlama konusunda yararli bakis ve araclar sunmaktadir.  Bu cercevede bu makale Turkiye-AB Gumruk Birligi’ne kamu alimlari kurallarinin dahil ...

The Src tyrosine kinase family contributes to the signalling mechanism mediating serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT))-induced vasoconstriction. These kinases were reported to influence the calcium sensitivity of the contractile apparatus. Whether Src kinases affect also the intracellular calcium concentration during constriction of intact arteries is unknown. Thus, we tested the hypothesis that constriction of arteries is associated with a Src kinase-dependent alteration of the intracellular calcium concentration. Contractility of gracilis arteries of Wistar rats was studied using isometric and isobaric myography. The intracellular calcium concentration was measured simultaneously with tension by FURA-2 fluorimetry. Inhibition of Src kinases with 10 μM PP2, 30 μM dasatinib and 100 μM AZM 475271 resulted in a strong attenuation of 5-HT-induced contractions. Vessel incubation with 10 μM PP3, an inactive analogue of PP2, had no effect. Removal of the endothelium did not alter vessel ...

This dissertation aims to understand (1) the transformation of the trade regime from GATT to the WTO within the context of the world order, and (2) the roles of transnational corporations (TNCs) in this transformation. It provides a neo-Gramscian framework for analysis to fill a ...

Alternative models of differentiated integration with the European Union (EU) discussed in the context of Brexit might be inspiring for European and Turkish stakeholders who are concerned with overcoming the deepest crisis in bilateral relations of recent history. The forthcoming customs union modernization negotiations are likely to create an opportunity to bring Turkey-EU relations to a stronger mode of external differentiated integration as in cases of Norway or Switzerland and fix problems aroused by the current structure of the customs union. This paper examines Switzerland’s case as an alternative model of integration between Turkey and the EU which can be considered during the upgrade process. The paper compares and contrasts the Swiss model with the existing customs union and the European Commission’s (EC) two upgrade scenarios for the customs union which were proposed in December 2016. It lays out potential advantages and disadvantages of a Swiss model for Turkish-EU relati...