Şebnem Karauçak was born in 1962 and graduated from Galatasaray High School in 1981. She studied in the Communications Department of the Economics Faculty of Istanbul University. She received her master’s degree from International Relations Department of the same university, and a Ph.D from the Sociology Department of Mimar Sinan University. Şebnem Karauçak has prepared her master’s and Ph.D thesis on The European Union and worked on sector researches in Spain, Italy and France between 1985 and 1989.

Şebnem Karauçak started working as an expert in the Foundation for Economic Development (IKV) in 1989, later worked as research and project manager, deputy secretary general and secretary general for the 2000 and 2006 period.

Şebnem Karauçak has 11 books and many researches, reports and articles published on Turkey- EU relations, she directed several national, regional and international projects that were financed by EU funds. She attended many conferences, panel discussions and seminars as a speaker.

She is currently the founding partner and the chairperson of EUROHORIZONS adminnistirative board. She speaks French, English and Italian.

skaraucak@eurohorizons.com

Umur Ali Birand who is born in 1977 in Brussels was a graduate of Koç Private High School. He graduated from the Department of TV-Visual Media and International Communication Sciences of American University, Washington DC in 1998.

He worked as the international broadcast coordinator of Discovery Channel from 1999. IN 2001 he returned to Turkey and started working in The Media Group first as the sponsorship director and then general manager for productions. He coordinated many communication projects between Turkey and EU member countries. He continues his career as a manager in Bir TV Productions since 2003.

Umur Ali Birand is the founding partner and Vice Chairman of the administirative board of EUROHORIZONS and speaks English and French.

ubirand@eurohorizons.com

David Barchard, is a writer and advisor whose expertise is on Turkey, East Mediterranean and especially Turkey-European Union relations. He has various books on Turkey-European Union relations that include Turkey and The West (RISS) 1985; Turkey and The European Union (Centre for European Reform) 1988, and Turkey and European Union: Forming a Partnership (TESEV) 2001. D. Barchard currently works on the history of Turkey-European Union Relations for last 200 years.

Can Baydarol who born in 1958 graduated from Galatasaray High School in 1978. He first graduated from in Principal Sciences Faculty of Boğaziçi University and then International Relations Department of The Political Sciences Faculty of Ankara University. He also studied Political Sciences in France.

He worked as a research expert in Foundation for Economic Development (IKV), Director for European Surveys in Piar Gallup and wrote in Finansal Forum Newspaper.

He has given lectures on Turkey- EU relations, customs union, and basic principals of the European Law, European policies, consistency to acquis communitaire for candidate countries, European integration process and contemporary issues in Istanbul, Istanbul Bilgi, Galatasaray, Marmara, Istanbul Ticaret and Kültür Universities.

Can Baydarol wrote 10 books and several researches and reports published on EU issues, attended several conferences, panel discussions, study seminars, TV and radio programs on Turkey- EU relations and European policies. He speaks English and French.

Mehmet Ali Birand was born in 1941 and started his career in 1964 in one of Turkey's leading newspapers, Milliyet. In 1972 he became the newspaper's European Editor, followed by Moscow Bureau Chief in 1984. In 1985, he started producing and narrating the news program "32nd Day". A news program about national and international issues, the programe has been airing for the last 20 years.

Mehmet Ali Birand came back to Turkey in 1991 and started writing as a columnist in Sabah Newspaper; and in 1999 in Posta Newspaper; the highest circulated newspaper in Turkey. Through 1999-2005, he prepared and narrated his daily political talk-show "Manşet" (Headline) on CNN Turk. In 2006 he became the anchorman of "Kanal D."

Mehmet Ali Birand who has presented several conferences on Turkey and the European Union relations, Kurdish Issue, Cyprus and Turkey-Greece relations, has been rewarded with "The Best Reporter" award and has many other international awards including France's "Chevalier de l'Ordre National de Merite".

Mehmet Ali Birand is one of Turkey's leading journalists and TV commentators. He speaks English and French fluently.

Yalım Eralp was born in 1938; after graduation from high school in New York in 1958, he entered Political Sciences Faculty and started working in The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1962. He performed in several positions in United Nations, New York, Greece, Rome NATO Defense College and Brussels NATO Turkish Delegation. He has also worked as undersecretary and ambassador undersecretary in Turkish Embassy in Washington. Through 1983-1987 he worked as the spokesman for The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Ankara. Through 1987-1991 he was The Turkish Ambassador to India.

Through 1991-1996, while working as the General Manager of NATO Affairs Department of The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, he performed as an advisor for Prime Minister Mesut Yılmaz and Prime Minister Tansu Çiller.

Through 1996-2000 he worked as Turkey Ambassador of Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). Yalım Eralp who has been retired since the year 2000, he is currently working as a TV commentator in CNN Turk Channel, and gives lectures on Current International Issues and Diplomacy in Kültür University. He is a member of TESEV's (The Turkish Economic and Social Studies Foundation) Foreign Policy Committee and speaks English and French.

Heinz Kramer was born in 1945, has started his college education in Hamburg University and completed in Saarland University in 1969, where he studied Economics and Politics. He continued his Ph. D Program in Saarland University and prepared his thesis on Euratom. Between 1977 and 1983 he worked as a lecturer in Ludwig-Maximillians University. In 1990 he gave lectures on International Relations in Bilkent University. In 1996 he performed temporarily as a member of the Political Planning Committee in German Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He made numerous researches on European Policies, Foreign Relations of European Union, Turkey-Germany Relations, and Turkish Foreign and Security Policies. Since 1973 he has been carrying on researches in Berlin Deutsches Institut für Internationale Politik und Sicherheit of Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik (SWP).

Michael Lake was born in 1936, New Zealand, started his career as an economy reporter in The Scotsman Newspaper in London. Later, he worked as the diplomacy reporter in The Daily Herald, Chief reporter in The Guardian and was also a weekly commentator in BBC World Service.

He started working in The European commission after 1973. He performed in the Press and Information Departments in London and New York. He also worked in Brussels, Tokyo, Ankara and Budapest. While working in Ankara for the Delegation of the European Commission, he contributed Turkey's efforts on attending the Customs Union.  

Michael Lake retired from The European Union Commission in 2001 and continues his career as a writer and advisor.

Soli Özel graduated from Bennington College, and later took a master's degree from Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) where upon he went to Berkeley University, to continue his Ph. D. on Political sciences. He has given lectures in UC Santa Cruz, SAIS, Washington University, Hebrew University and Boğaziçi University. He performed as a lecturer also in St. Antony College and Security Institute of The European Union. He was a writer for Gazete Pazar, Yeni Binyıl Newspapers, Nokta and Görüş magazines. He is the editor of both "Foreign Policy" that is being published by Carnegie Endowment in the US, and "Private View"; one of TÜSİAD's (Turkish Industrialists' and Businessmen's Association) publications. Soli Özel is the foreign policy advisor of TÜSİAD's Chairman; writes a column in Sabah Newspaper and is a lecturer in İstanbul Bilgi University.

Can Paker was born in 1942 studied in Technical University Berlin, took his master's degree from Columbia University, and completed his Ph.D in Istanbul Technical University. From 1970 to 2004 he worked in Turk Henkel Company, starting from production management up to board membership. Through 1994-2004 he worked as the spokesman of Henkel's International Branches. Through 2000-2004 he was a board member in Sabancı Holding. Can Paker has also been working as a member of the board of trustees in Sabancı University; and he is the founder and managing partner of Boy Consultancy Company. He is a member of the board of directors of TÜSİAD (Turkish Industrialists' and Businessmen's Association) and the president of the Discipline Committee of this association; he is also a member of The Committee of International Festivals of Istanbul and TESEV (The Turkish Economic and Social Studies Foundation) board of directors; and has been appointed as the special representative for Turkey-European Union relations by Turkish Government and The Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

John Palmer completed his education in Wimbledon College and London School of Economics. He is a member of the board of directors in European Policy Center and Vice Chairman in the board of directors in EPC Political Europe Program. Until 1997 he worked as the Europe editor of The Guardian Newspaper and through 1997-2005 he performed as the Politics editor of EPC. Through his work life in EPC, he was the chief editor of EPC's publication "Challenge Europe". From 1983 to 1986, he both worked as the chairman of Greater London Enterprise Board and member of the board of directors of London Transport. He is the writer such books as; "Europe Without America - the crisis in Atlantic relations", "Trading Places - the future of the European Community", and "1992 and beyond - the European Community into the 21st Century". John Palmer is an expert on macroeconomic and politic trends, European Union's common foreign, security and defense policies, attends conferences and seminars on these topics in many different countries.

He completed his education on economics and politics in Hamburg, Princeton and Paris Universities. He worked as the Vice President Responsible for Foreign Affairs in European Union Commission and director responsible for Mediterranean and Arab World. He has performed in research, consultancy and public sectors. Currently, he is working as an advisor in Brussels, European Policy Center and gives lectures in Malta Mediterranean Diplomacy Academy as a guest lecturer.

Özdem Sanberk, graduated from Galatasaray High School and Istanbul University, Faculty of Law and worked as the officer of The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Madrid, Amman, Bonn and Paris Embassies, permanent representative offices of OECD and UNESCO. He worked as a foreign policy advisor for Prime Minister Turgut Özal between 1985 and 1987. Sanberk worked as an ambassador - permanent representative in The European Union between 1987 and 1991, as an undersecretary of The Ministry of Foreign Affairs between 1991 and 1995, and as the ambassador in London between 1995 and 2000. He retired in the year 2000 and worked as a director in TESEV (The Turkish Economic and Social Studies Foundation) until 2003 September. He speaks English and French.

Murat Sungar was born in 1942 in Ankara, studied first in Ankara University, and received his master's degree in International Relations Department, Cincinnati University. He started working in The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1970; he became the second and first secretary of The Turkish Delegation in Brussels and The Embassy Secretary in the Turkish Embassy in Islamabad. He performed as the director of the NATO division in The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, counselor in Washington DC Embassy, advisor of the secretary of The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, consul of New York, spokesman of The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, ambassador in India and vice general secretary of The Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Murat Sungar who also worked as the Turkish ambassador for The United Nations in Geneva between 1998 and 2002 also performed as The General Secretary of European Union between 2002 and 2005.

İlter Türkmen started his career in The Ministry of Foreign Affairs as Washington ambassador, later worked as general manager and vice general secretary in the ministry; Athens ambassador, Moscow ambassador and permanent representative in United Nations. He was the Minister of Foreign Affairs between 1980 and 1983. He performed as the permanent representative in United Nations between 1984 and 1988, France ambassador between 1988 and 1991, Vice General Secretary of the United Nations and the General Commissioner of the Relief Organization for Palestinian Refugees between 1991 and 1996. Currently İlter Türkmen writes in Hürriyet Newspaper and he is a member of TESEV Foreign Relations Council, Turkish-Greek Forum and OBİV (Foundation for Middle East and Balkan Studies) Foreign and Defense Group.