The 8th Sakıp Sabancı Lecture
On May 2, 2012, Istanbul Policy Center and the Brookings Institution co-organized the Eighth Annual Sakıp Sabancı Lecture, which featured a keynote speech by Zbigniew Brzezinski, National Security Adviser to former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and co-chair of the Center for Strategic and International Studies Advisory Board. Entitled “The West and Turkey: Their Role in Shaping Wider Global Architecture,” Brzezinski’s lecture delved into the recent developments in the region vis-à-vis the Arab Spring and its implications for Turkey and its Transatlantic relations. The Sabancı University students joined in the conference from Istanbul via video link. Moderated by Meltem Müftüler-Baç, IPC Senior Scholar and Sabancı University Professor, the thought-provoking questions by the students kindled a lively debate among participants in Washington and Istanbul.
Free Speech in Turkey and the World with Timothy Garton Ash
IPC hosted a rare event that provided a closer look into the “Free Speech in Turkey and the World.” The renowned academic and public intellectual Timothy Garton Ash, who is also a professor at the University of Oxford and a regular contributor to the Guardian and the New York Review of Books, delivered the keynote speech. Ash elaborated on the impediments to the freedom of speech in Turkey and around the globe, and he shared his insight on removing those obstacles. IPC Senior Scholar Ayşe Kadıoğlu, who put together this timely event, chaired the expert panel, which featured Hasan Cemal (Milliyet), Yasemin İnceoğlu (Galatasaray University), and Halil Berktay (Sabancı University), and Kerem Öktem (Oxford University). The panel focused not only on the actual limits to free speech in Turkey, but also included a theoretical debate on the possible limits to free speech. The “Turkey Free Speech Debate” also introduced a new Oxford-based website on this issue. The website can be accessed at freespeechdebate.com.
2nd Aspen Bosphorus Dialogue: Double transition: Economics and politics across Europe and the Mediterranean
IPC in conjunction with the Aspen Institute Italia hosted the second Aspen Bosphorus Dialogue entitled “Double transition: Economics and politics across Europe and the Mediterranean” on March 2-4, 2012 in Istanbul. The participants of the conference discussed the overarching issues resulting from the relationship between the various actors in, as well as the transformation taking place throughout the region. The discussion over the future of the Eurozone highlighted the varying perspectives on how to address fiscal and budgetary issues, regulation of the banking system and disparities in competitiveness. It was observed that the current crisis has led the EU to become more introverted, while the role of Turkey is growing in importance. At this junction, the participants stressed the crucial need for new and pragmatic forms of cooperation between Brussels and Ankara on key issues such as energy, immigration, and security. In regard to the upheavals throughout the region, it was expressed that evolving states, rather than finding role models, such as Turkey, to emulate, countries of the region need to develop sensible solutions based on their own specific social and economic circumstances. In attendance were Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu, Turkish Economy Minister Ali Babacan, Italian Foreign Minister Giulio Terzi di Sant’Agata, and Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt.
IPC-Sabancı University Conflict Resolution Simulation
Istanbul Policy Center (IPC), in conjunction with Sabancı University, organized a simulation of the Cyprus negotiations by Sabancı University students on February 25, 2012 at the Marmara Hotel in Taksim. The simulation was the last session of the Istanbul Conference on Mediation entitled “Enhancing Peace through Mediation New Actors, Fresh Approaches, Bold Initiatives,” a two-day conference hosted by the Turkish Foreign Ministry. The summit began on the previous day and was attended by approximately 250 foreign ministers, local and foreign experts, academics, civil society representatives, and UN officials. During the conference, a wide range of issues on different aspects of mediation were discussed in a broad framework, including the future of Istanbul as an international mediation hub. The simulation, prepared by Sabancı University Professor and IPC Senior Scholar Meltem Müftüler-Baç and Sabancı University Professors Teri Murphy and Emre Hatipoğlu, was carried out by 34 students from Sabancı University’s European Studies (MA), Social and Political Sciences (BA), Political Science (MA, PhD) and Conflict Analysis and Resolution(MA) programs. The purpose of the simulation was to have the students develop a deeper understanding of confidence building measures and the interworking of the mediation process as a whole. To accomplish this, traditional top-down approaches to mediation were supplanted with cross-stitching, a mediation tool designed for confidence building between parties by encouraging representatives from different segments of society to share their perspectives and their view of human security and needs with various segments from all parties. The students were divided into three teams representing the international community, Turkish Cypriots, and Greek Cypriots, with each team having two facilitators. After days of preparation, it was conducted in two separate phases: the first, a five hour session was held at the IPC headquarters in Karaköy; and the second, a one hour session took place at the Marmara Hotel.
Roundtable with the Honorable Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu
Senior Scholar Ayşe Kadıoğlu moderated the off-the-record roundtable at IPC Karaköy Headquarters on January 11, 2012. Former President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu and 26 guests discussed the next period of Turkish-European relations, the role of the Council of Europe on current issues, and the Presidency of Mr. Çavuşoğlu as well as Turkish foreign policy. Mr. Çavuşoğlu answered questions on Turkey’s place within the Council and its policies regarding newer topics such as the crisis in Greece and the Arab Spring.
IPC – Sabancı University – Stiftung Mercator Initiative Inaugural Event
On February 1, 2012, after months of hard work and planning, the partnership between Istanbul Policy Center (IPC) and Stiftung Mercator officially kicked off with an intellectually stimulating discussion on “Policy Challenges for Turkey and the EU: A 2012 Perspective.” The event, at the Sakıp Sabancı Museum in Istanbul, highlighted the IPC-Sabancı University-Stiftung Mercator Initiative, the heart of the partnership, which focuses on three core thematic areas of cooperation: climate change, EU/German-Turkish relations, and education. The event opened with the warm welcoming remarks from Güler Sabancı, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Sabancı University, who emphasized the importance of the Initiative for the future of Turkish-German relations. Nihat Berker, President of Sabancı University, spoke next, and stressed the significance of the German-Turkish youth exchange programs co-organized by Stiftung Mecator and Sabancı University. Fuat Keyman, Director of IPC, combined both sentiments in stating that “this partnership will be built on the subjects of living together, social policies, and climate change. We want to contribute to the NGOs especially on the subject of climate change, and provide scholarships for the young scholars who are immersed in the three core areas of the Initiative. We will hold comparative studies on climate change, renewable energy, and contemporary trends of the urban transformation in key German and Turkish cities.”
International Cooperation in Times of Global Crises
The conference titled "International Cooperation in Times of Global Crises " was held on January 18, 2012 at Moskow.
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.
Samim Akgönül: Minority: Cross-Perspectives on the Concept of Minority in the Turkish Context
IPC hosted a book launch on January 9, 2012 at its Karaköy headquarters for Azınlık: Türk Bağlamında Azınlık Kavramına Çapraz Bakışlar, written by Samim Akgönül of History and Political Science at Strasbourg University. Senior Scholar Ayşe Kadıoğlu moderated the roundtable while Cengiz Aktar from Bahçeşehir University and İlay Örs from Bilgi University commented on Akgönül’s latest work on minorities in the French, Greek and Turkish contexts. In his book, Akgönül penetrates deep into the conceptual meaning of minority and offers a fresh perspective on its perception in Turkey. Azınlık is a successful comparative analysis, studying non-Muslims in Turkey, as well as Muslim Turks in Greece and France, through the lens of religion.
Experts Meeting on Contemporary Turkish Studies
The Experts Meeting on Contemporary Turkish Studies, organized by IPM and Stiftung Mercator, took place in Essen on December 8-9, 2011. The purpose of the meeting was to present recommendations for promoting contemporary Turkish studies in Germany.
The International Conference on the Role of Think Tanks in Policy Formation
Senior Expert 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 participated in a panel on the status of think tanks in Turkey, while Senior Experts Ersin Kalaycıoğlu and Ahmet Evin moderated sessions throughout the event. During the conference, various topics were discussed, ranging from good governance in Turkey to the role of think tanks as agents of change in pluralistic societies. Various panels and conferences were held with the participation of representatives of civil society from Turkey and Europe.
Role Models and Guides: Sweden, Turkey, and the Middle East
The Istanbul Policy Center and the Center for Middle Eastern Studies (CMES) at Lund University organized a two-day roundtable meeting in November 2011 to discuss the feasibility of a joint project on awakening and democratization in Arab countries. The discussion focused on the possibility of disseminating Turkish and Swedish experiences in good governance, sustainable development policies, and human and resource development in the Middle East and North Africa.