Notes from March 12
Boy, it is very hectic. the conference schedule is tight, and i intend to attend as much as possible.I still could not get the local nedwspapers. stores close early. Now i have to go to dinner, but here are some quick notes from March 12. Still to come. Good encounters i am having...
And of course, Brussels is busy with the EU summit. Unfortunately roundups will appear here only when I arrive Istanbul.I don't think i will have time and opportunity for a close reading of my Bloglines...
damn uploading problems. photos will appear later...
After more walking, stressing, swearing, I managed to have three encounters yesterday.
In the “European section” of Brussels, i paid a visit to TUSIAD’s Office. Very well located and showing a wealthy existence, TUSIAD can be named the most active NGO in TR-EU relations. The head of the Office is Bahadır Kaleağası, who writes weekly columns in Radikal and who is involved in many EU-TR related activities here and in Turkey. I am very glad to have met him. I would feel bad if I haven’t met him before finishing the dissertation. We did talk on my research and he commented on some issues I was working on. I will rely on his recently published book on EU-TR relations and of course use that semi-interview I had conducted.
As a footnote, TUSIAD office issues a weekly email bulletin which more than 60 thousand subscribers in Turkey. Its English version has some 20 thousand subscribers. This is a very significant contribution to EU information.
One of the Bilgi students, Gizem is in town as an Erasmus student. After the TUSIAD trip, I met her and as she herself was new we have spent quite a time to find a place to have coffee. On the way, we got hungry and we had dinner instead. In an all Belgian food restaurant I guess what we have eaten was not Belgian at all. But beer is good which seemed to be the only Belgian stuff I was consuming. By extending route, I happened to see most of the historical city and despite Jon’s wonderful suggestion, I am not sure if I can make it to more historical stuff.
I met the blogger friend Jon Worth. Oh boy he is so energetic. He is co-campaigning for http://www.whodoicall.eu/
As much as I was exhausted, he was just too energetic. It was not exactly a good combination but I am too happy to meet him. Jon might have an even louder voice in near future of Euro-blogosphere.
