German-Turkish Round Table on International Affairs
Senior Scholar Bahri Yılmaz organized The German-Turkish Round Table, granted by Robert Bosch Foundation on the 15-16 th of December 2011 at the SWP in Berlin. 35 experts from Turkey and Germany were brought together to discuss “The Arab spring: Chances and challenges for the cooperation between Germany (EU) and Turkey in the transformation process.” The Round Table is an initiative that seeks to build bridges and promote dialogue between Germany and Turkey in areas of mutual international political and economic concerns.
Croatian and Turkish EU-Accession in Perspective
Istanbul Policy Center (IPC), the European Stability Initiative, and ERSTE Stiftung organized a film screening Twilight of Heroes – Croatia, Europe and the International Tribunal and subsequent panel discussion entitled "Croatian and Turkish EU-Accession in Perspective" on December 13, 2012.
The Trump Presidency and the Rise of Populism in the Global Context
İstanbul Politikalar Merkezi convened a panel titled "The Trump Presidency and the Rise of Populism in the Global Context" on December 6, 2012.
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.
Reporting on International Security and Terrorism Seminar
The Thomson Reuters Foundation Annual Global Security Seminar was held in Istanbul this year and organised in coordination with IPC. The seminar on “Reporting on International Security and Terrorism” was held from November 12-14 with the support of Stiftung Mercator, Gerda Henkel Stiftung and the Stanley Foundation.
Contemporary Turkish Studies at a Glance – Topics, Institutions and Future Perspectives
IPC, Istanbul Bilgi University EU Institute, Network Turkey, Netherlands Institute for Higher Education,The Institute of Turkish Studies at Georgetown University, British Institute at Ankara and French Institute for Anatolian Studies co-organized “Contemporary Turkish Studies at a Glance – Topics, Institutions and Future Perspectives” at Istanbul Bilgi University on October 13-14, 2012. share icon share facebook icon twitter icon
Welcoming Event for the 2012/13 Mercator – IPC Fellows
On September 25, 2012 the welcoming event for the first Mercator-IPC Fellows took place in Istanbul. The event opened with the warm welcoming remarks of Nihat Berker, President of Sabanci University, Bernhard Lorentz, President of Stifung Mercator, and Fuat Keyman, IPC Director. Mercator-IPC Senior Fellow Cem Özdemir, Co-Chairman of the German green party “Alliance 90/The Greens”, gave a keynote speech entitled “Europe at the Crossroads: Why Turkey Matters”. Subsequently, the 2012/13 Mercator – IPC Fellows were introduced through short video clips. The ensuing panel discussion, entitled “A Silver Lining: German – Turkish Cooperation in Turbulent Times,” offered an intellectually stimulating debate between Kemal Dervis, Member of the IPC Executive Board and Vice President of the Brookings Institution, Ömer Madra, Mercator – IPC Senior Fellow and Co-Founder of Acik Radyo, Secil Pacaci Elitok, Mercator – IPC Fellow, and Ambassador Klaus Scharioth (ret.), Dean of the Mercator Fellowship on International Affairs and Member of the IPC’s International Advisory Council. The discussion was chaired by Ayse Kadioglu, Senior Scholar at IPC and Professor at Sabanci University.
Student Study Trips between IPC-Darmstadt Technical University on Regional Governance
Through the coordination of IPC Executive Board Member Korel Göymen, IPC hosted a group of post-graduate students from Darmstadt University, Germany on 9-13 September 2012. Together with their lecturer Prof. Hubert Heinelt , students attended seminars and had a chance to see historical places in Istanbul. Korel Göymen, Alpay Filiztekin, Sabancı University Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS), and Burcu Özüpek Gülek, Istanbul Development Agency made presentations and led discussion around the theme of “Regional Development in Turkey.” Under the coordination of Korel Göymen, since 2008, study trips are organized among German and Turkish students for the bilateral cooperation program between Darmstadt and Sabancı Universities, each year on a different topic. Within this framework, a group of students from Sabancı University will be going to Darmstadt for a three day study trip on the topic “Regional Policy – Germany and Turkey in Comparison” in October 2012.
Hrant Dink Memorial Workshop: New Forms of Social Protest
IPC in collaboration with Hrant Dink Foundation hosted the “Hrant Dink Memorial Workshop: New Forms of Social Protest” at Cezayir Meeting Hall, on May 25-26, 2012. Senior Scholar Ayşe Kadıoğlu took the lead in co-organizing the event.
Varieties of Capitalism in Emerging Countries
On June 9-10, 2012 IPC co-organized with Sabancı University the workshop “Varieties of Capitalism in Emerging Countries” at its Karaköy Headquarters. Executive Board Member Kemal Derviş delivered the keynote speech in the event organized by Sabancı University Associate Professor Işık Özel.
14th Kronberg Talks: Europe Turkey and the Mediterranean – Fostering Cooperation and Strengthening Relations
IPC, in tandem with the Bertelsmann Stiftung in Germany, hosted the 14th Kronberg Talks at the Sakıp Sabancı Museum in Istanbul from May 14–16, 2012. The theme of the conference was “Europe, Turkey and the Mediterranean-Fostering Cooperation and Strengthening Relations.” In light of the recent developments in Iran, Syria, Iraq and the region as a whole, the talks explored Turkey’s role in the Arab transformation process, its unique position to act as a mediator in regional conflicts, and ascertained Turkish-EU common interests, such as migration and integration.
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.”