Turkish integration with the EU

News / EU

15/Oct/2004 - 8:48

Turkish integration with the EU on the basis of scientific co-operation

“Challenges and opportunities on Turkey’s road to integration with the EU

As the European Union and Turkey gear up for the final leg of negotiations for EU entry, the candidate country is already getting a taste of Union membership as a ‘fully paid-up member’ of the Sixth Framework Programme for Research (FP6). Namik Kemal Pak, a leading Turkish scientist, reflects on his country’s R&D position.

Ever since the launch of the EU’s €17.5 billion Sixth Framework Programme in 2002, Turkey has been a full member of this important research platform, standing on an equal footing with both established and new Member States. The country has also been invited to climb on-board the Union’s ambitious bid to construct an integrated and complementary European Research Area (ERA).

“Turkey has recently taken a historic new step on our course to integration with Europe by joining [FP6],” explains Namik K Pak, chairman of TUBITAK, the Turkish Scientific Research Council. “We are opting to pool our efforts for scientific and technological betterment with [those] of the European Union to give our co-operation a more solid form.”
Yet, despite recent improvements in its R&D standing, Turkey is still punching below its weight scientifically, Mr Pak notes. “Although our [gross domestic product] GDP is quite sizable… our R&D indicators are relatively modest [compared with] EU averages,” the Turkish academic observes. This, in turn, means that Turkey does not get the most out of its contribution to FP6 – which is calculated on the basis of GDP and not scientific capacity.
Strength in numbers

Turkey will have to bolster both its scientific and economic clout – relative to population size – to bring it more in line with its EU partners. According to the Turkish academic, within the group of 13 candidate countries – 10 of which are now EU members – Turkey makes up nearly two-fifths of the population but only a fifth of the GDP and scientific publications they produce.

However, Turkey’s progress over the past ten years has been impressive. “Total scientific output has increased steadily and considerably in the last decade raising [Turkey’s] world ranking to 22nd in 2002,” he outlines.

Partnership with Europe has played a part in this scientific recovery. Under FP5, for instance, Turkish partners received €4.5 million in Union funding. While recognising the low volume of Turkish research, EU officials commend its high quality.

Now that Turkey is a full member of FP6, this growth in R&D is set to accelerate. Union backing can help it move forward more rapidly. “The importance of science and technology… is widely recognised by national governments,” notes Mr Pak. “The question is whether the same understanding is shared at the EU level to welcome the newcomers.””

Photo: Prof. Dr. Namik Kemal Pak

From the newsletter of the European GD for Research, International Co-operations
europa.eu.int/comm/research/iscp/newsletter/2004-08/mediterranean_en.html#01