Ahmet Evin is a Senior Scholar in Istanbul Policy Center and Professor at Sabancı University, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences and Jean Monnet chair at Sabanci University. Prior to his appointment at Sabanci University Ahmet Evin, the founding dean of Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences at Sabanci University taught at New York University, Harvard University, Hacettepe University (Ankara), the University of Pennsylvania (where he also served as director of the Middle East Center), University of Hamburg, and Bilkent University in Ankara (where he headed the Department of Political Science).
Evin’s private sector experience includes corporate management at Philip Morris International; he represented Philip Morris Companies in Ankara and was responsible for the legal and administrative aspects of direct foreign investment in a major consumer product sector during its transition from state monopoly to international competition.
As director of education of the Aga Khan Trust for Culture, a Geneva-based international development foundation, he coordinated the Aga Khan Program for Islamic Architecture at Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and in cooperation with that US-based resource center assisted in the development of architectural education in Asia and Africa. He has also served as a consultant to the Aga Khan Award for Architecture as well as an editor of the Award publication.
Evin initiated, with the European Commission’s support, a policy dialogue on the future European architecture, EU’s eastward expansion, its Mediterranean policy, and the customs union agreement with Turkey. He has established, with the European University Institute (EUI), Schuman Center for Advanced Studies, EU- Turkish Observatory, and several joint programs of professional training and policy research with academic institutions and non-governmental organizations, such as ELIAMEP, USIP, The Kokkalis Program at the Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University.
Evin is also the founding member of the Turkish Economy and Social Studies Foundation and the Middle East Studies Association of North America. He has authored or edited over 10 volumes on politics, culture, and development. His research interests include theories of the State and elites; Turkish political development; and democracy and civil society. He currently works on current foreign policy issues related to the European enlargement, its significance for Turkey and the region as well as its effect on Transatlantic relations.
Evin received his Ph.D. from Columbia University in Middle East Studies and Cultural History in 1973. He was named William Mitchell Fellow at Columbia where he continued his graduate work. He had his BA in English and Comparative Literature from Columbia University in 1966.
The Role of Eurasia in a Multi-Polar World
Senior Scholar Ahmet Evin and Managing Editor and Researcher Megan Gisclon’s report The Role of Eurasia in a Multi-Polar World was published in March 2019.
Click here to download the document.
Turkey and the EU: Energy, Transport and Competition Policies
Senior Scholar Ahmet Evin, Emre Hatipoğlu and Peter Balazs’ book Turkey and the EU: Energy, Transport and Competition Policies was published in July 2016 with Claeys & Casteels.
The Sliding West: Populism and Religion as Challenges to the Liberal Order
Senior Scholar Ahmet Evin and Managing Editor Megan Gisclon‘s report The Sliding West: Populism and Religion as Challenges to the Liberal Order was published in July 2016.
Click here to download the document.
The Liberal Order in Peril: The Future of the World Order with the West against the Rising Rest
Senior Scholar Ahmet Evin and Managing Editor Megan Gisclon’s report The Liberal Order in Peril: The Future of the World Order with the West against the Rising Rest was published in March 2015.
Click here to download the document.
Turkey's Political Turmoil and its Transatlantic Implications
Senior Scholar Ahmet Evin's article "Turkey's Political Turmoil and its Transatlantic Implications" was published in German Marshall Fund Transatlantic Academy in April 2014.
Considering the Future of the Liberal Order: Hope, Despair and Anticipation
Senior Scholar Ahmet Evin, Research and Academic Affairs Manager Onur Sazak and Intern Lisa J. Reppell's report Considering the Future of the Liberal Order: Hope, Despair and Anticipation was published in October 2013.
Click here to download the document.
Turkish Modernization and Strategic Choices
Senior Scholar Ahmet Evin and Research and Academic Affairs Manager Onur Sazak's report Turkish Modernization and Strategic Choices was published on January 10, 2012.
Click here to download the document.
Turkey and Its Neighbors: Foreign Policy in Transition
Senior Scholar Ahmet Evin, Joshua W. Walker, Juliette Tolay, Kemal Kirişci, Nathalie Tocci, Ronald H. Linden and Thomas Straubhaar's book Turkey and Its Neighbors: Foreign Policy in Transition was published in November 2011 with Lynne Rienner Publishers.
Convergence and Resistance: the European Dilemma of Turkish Intellectuals
Justine Lacroix and Kalypso Nicolaïdis's book European Stories: Intellectual Debates on Europe in National Contexts was published in January 2011 with Oxford University Press. The book featured a chapter by Senior Scholar Ahmet Evin and Nora Fisher Onar, titled "Convergence and Resistance: the European Dilemma of Turkish Intellectuals".
Getting to Zero: Turkey, Its Neighbors and the West
Senior Scholar Ahmet Evin, Joshua W. Walker, Juliette Tolay, Kemal Kirişci, Nathalie Tocci, Ronald H. Linden and Thomas Straubhaar's report Getting to Zero: Turkey, Its Neighbors and the West was published in 2011 in Transatlantic Academy.
Turkish Foreign Policy: Limits of Engagement
Senior Scholar Ahmet Evin's article "Turkish Foreign Policy: Limits of Engagement" was published in New Perspectives On Turkey in January 2009.
Turkey and the European Union: Paradigms and Paradoxes
Carl Baudenbacher and Erhard Busek's book Aspekte der Globalisierung: Staatsmonopole für Spiel und Wette - Staatliche Beihilfen was published on October 16, 2008 with Verlag Österreich. The book featured a chapter by Senior Scholar Ahmet Evin, titled" Turkey and the European Union: Paradigms and Paradoxes".
Towards Accession Negotiations: Turkey's Domestic and Foreign Policy Challenges Ahead
Senior Scholar Ahmet Evin and Nathalie Tocci's book Towards Accession Negotiations: Turkey’s Domestic and Foreign Policy Challenges Ahead was published in 2004 with European University Institute.
Welcoming of the 2021/22 Mercator-IPC Fellows
We welcome our 2021/22 Mercator-IPC Fellows Anna Zadrożna, Arzu Karakulak, Ezgi Ediboğlu, Onur Sazak, Sibel Karadağ and Theocharis Grigoriadis.
Anna Zadrożna | Green Spaces for Cities Survival: Use and Perception of Green Spaces in Istanbul and Strategies for their Sustainable Governance
Arzu Karakulak | Unpuzzling the Pandemic-Prejudice Link: Understanding How and When the Threat of COVID-19 Leads to Prejudice Against Refugees
Ezgi Ediboğlu | The Technology Roadmap on Combating Climate Change: A Proposal for Turkey
Onur Sazak | Reengaging European Philanthropy in the Restoration of Turkish Civil Society
Sibel Karadağ | On the Eve of a New “Deal”: Scope, Actors, and Method
Theocharis Grigoriadis | German-style Energy Transitions: Wind Energy & Development in Turkey
Greece and Turkey: Views of Each Other - Wave III: Unpacking the Results of the Third Opinion Poll on the Bilateral Relations between Greece and Turkey
IPC, ELIAMEP, and diaNEOsis organised a conference titled ''Greece and Turkey: Views of Each Other- Wave III: Unpacking the results of the third opinion poll on the bilateral relations between Greece and Turkey'' with the participation of Senem Aydın-Düzgit, Evren Balta and Ahmet Evin on June 21.
Please click here to watch the event.
The Welcoming of the 2021/22 Mercator-IPC Fellows
The Welcoming of the 2021/22 Mercator-IPC Fellows was held on October 11 at Barbare Vineyard House. The event began with welcoming remarks by IPC Director Fuat Keyman and Stiftung Mercator Director Michael Schwarz. The event continued with a movie screening that introduced the 2021/22 Mercator-IPC Fellows Anna Zadrożna, Arzu Karakulak, Ezgi Ediboğlu, Onur Sazak, Sibel Karadağ and Theocharis Grigoriadis.
Please click here to watch the video.
Welcoming of the 2021/22 Mercator-IPC Fellows
The Welcoming of the 2021/22 Mercator-IPC Fellows was held on October 11 at Barbare Vineyard House. The event began with welcoming remarks by IPC Director Fuat Keyman and Stiftung Mercator Director Michael Schwarz. The event continued with a movie screening that introduced the 2021/22 Mercator-IPC Fellows Anna Zadrożna, Arzu Karakulak, Ezgi Ediboğlu, Onur Sazak, Sibel Karadağ and Theocharis Grigoriadis.
Pleace click here for the event.
Eurasia and China's Belt and Road Initiative
The IPC–Sabancı University–Stiftung Mercator Initiative, together with Columbia University’s Sakıp Sabancı Center for Turkish Studies, Harriman Institute, ISERP, Weatherhead East Asian Institute, and Columbia Global Centers in Istanbul organized the panel discussion “Eurasia and China’s Belt and Road Initiative” on September 19, 2019 at Columbia University Sakıp Sabancı Center for Turkish Studies. Ahmet Evin and Megan Gisclon attended the panel discussion.
The Role of Eurasia in a Multi-Polar World
In partnership with the German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP), IPC organized the one-day conference “The Role of Eurasia in a Multi-Polar World.” The conference, which was spearheaded by Senior Scholar Ahmet Evin, took place at DGAP’s office in Berlin on December 6, 2017.
The Future of the Liberal Order
IPC-Sabancı University-Stiftung Mercator Initiative and Transatlantic Academy co-organized a full-day event titled "IPC Observatory: The Future of the Liberal Order" on May 23, 2013 at the Seed, Istanbul.
German-Turkish Round Table
Istanbul Policy Center Senior Scholar Bahri Yılmaz organized The German-Turkish Round Table (GTRT), funded by Robert Bosch Foundation and the German Institute for International and SecurityAffairs (SWP) on November 22-23, 2012 in Istanbul. 45 experts from Turkey and Germany were brought together to discuss “China’s Growing Clout in International Relations; Turkish and German Perceptions.” Participants discussed economic relations of Germany and Turkey with China, China as a major topic in Turkey’s and Germany’s Foreign Policy, and China’s policy in the Middle East and North Africa throughout the conference. The GTRT is an initiative that seeks to build bridges and promote dialogue between Germany and Turkey in areas of mutual international political and economic concerns.
Environmental Governance International Conference
Senior Scholar Korel Göymen organized “Environmental Governance International Conference” in Istanbul on November 16-17, 2012. The discussions ranged from environmental governance at national and local levels to the role of regional and international organizations, as well as the involvement of NGOs in environmental governance. There were multiple panel discussions, enriched by keynote remarks from prominent members of Turkish and European civil society, government representatives, public officials, academics.
Young Leaders Conference: Mediterranean Bridges
IPC hosted Young Leaders Conference on May 13, 2012 at its Karaköy Headquarters, organized by the American Council on Germany, along with the Atlantik Bruecke and the US Council on Italy. This year the conference on “Mediterranean Bridges” took place in Istanbul May 12 – 13. Young Leaders from Germany, Italy, Turkey, the United States and North Africa were the participants of the two-day conference. They attended fruitful discussions on “Roots of Crisis: Political and Economic Effects of Turmoil in the Middle East,” “The Energy Equation: The Global Impact of Oil and Gas Flows, the Iran Sanctions and Pipeline Issues,” “The Influence of New Media and Digital Technologies,” and “Looking into the Future: Demography, Democracy and Prosperity.”
The Turkey Nexus on Turkish Modernization and Strategic Choices
In collaboration with Nexus Forum, Istanbul Policy Center Senior Scholar Ahmet Evin organized the workshop on January 10, 2015 in Istanbul. It was the first of a cycle of open discussions among corporate executives and policy makers on Turkey’s economic policy and developments in energy and infrastructure. It highlighted some key issues to be overcome in order to step up the country’s modernization and facilitate foreign investments, chief among which productivity and the regulatory environment. The three main topics of discussion were Turkey’s future energy balance, the need for consolidating institutions across the board, and how to manage the predicted economic slowdown.
Experts Meeting on Contemporary Turkish Studies
A joint initiative by IPC and Stiftung Mercator, the “Experts Meeting on Contemporary Turkish Studies” was held in Essen on December 8-9, 2011. The purpose of the meeting was to come up with proposals about fostering contemporary Turkish studies in Germany.
The International Conference on the Role of Think Tanks in Policy Formation
Senior Scholar Korel Göymen organized “The International Conference on the Role of Think Tanks in Policy Formation” in Istanbul on November 18-19, 2011. Director Fuat Keyman was a panelist on the landscape of think tanks in Turkey, while Senior Scholars Ersin Kalaycıoğlu and Ahmet Evin each facilitated a session throughout the event. The discussions ranged from good governance in Turkey to think tanks as the agents of change in complex societies. There were multiple panel discussions as well as lectures by prominent members of Turkish and European civil society.
Faraway, So Close? Reaching Beyond the Pro/Contra Controversy on Turkey's EU Accession
The workshop titled “Faraway, So Close? Reaching beyond the Pro/Contra Controversy on Turkey’s EU Accession” was held at IPC in June 2-4, 2011. The two-day workshop co-organized by IPC and Freie Universitat, Berlin, started with an opening reception where Thomas Risse presented his new book: A Community of Europeans: Transnational Identities and the Public Sphere. Among the topics discussed were historical institutionalist and comparative approaches to Europeanization, norm diffusion or normativity and migration as well as the impact of the EU norms on migrant flows.
Europe Beyond the EU: The Geo-Economy of the Wider Continent
A joint initiative by IPC and the Aspen Institute, “Europe Beyond the EU: The Geo-Economy of the Wider Continent” was organized on March 4-5, 2011. The purpose of this conference was to shed light on Europe’s new economic governance framework and to provide a common Turkish-Italian approach. The conference underlined that redefining Europe’s borders, starting with Turkey, is a process increasingly influenced by economic relations as well as political developments. The important issues discussed delved into Europe’s liquid borders with special emphasis on northern Africa and the Middle East. Attending the meeting were Nihat Berker, President of Sabancı University; Fuat Keyman, Director of IPC and Ahmet Evin, IPC Senior Scholar.
