Research institutes and associations of scholars in Turkey

Here you can find basic information about the websites of research institutes active and associations of scholars in Turkey, with direct links.

Name in Turkish: Liberal Düşünce Topluluğu
Description: ALT was established in December 1992. The objectives of ALT as a non-profit, non-governmental organization are to introduce to Turkish public the richness of the intellectual tradition that lay at heart of the liberal democratic civilization to engage in activities that promote understanding and acceptance of values and concepts like liberty, justice, tolerance, peace, human rights, the rule of law, to encourage academic researches on liberal themes; and to contribute to finding effective solutions to Turkey's political and economic problems within liberal thought.ALT brings together like-minded people whose belief in and commitment to liberty, free market economy, and limited government have been proved by their intellectual and professional work.
ALT does not involve in day to day politics and have no direct links with any political party or movement. Instead, as an independent intellectual grouping, it aims to set and influence broader political debates so as to contribute to the liberalization of Turkey in economic and political fields.
Languages: Turkish, English

Vsit the website of the Association for Liberal Thinking  (in Turkish)
Visit the website of the Association for Liberal Thinking  (in English)

Name in Turkish: Ekonomi ve Dış Politika Araştırmalar Merkezi
Description: based in Istanbul, the Centre for Economics and Foreign Policy Studies carries out policy oriented research in the fields of economics and international relations, with a special focus on negotiations for Turkey access into the European Union.
Languages: Turkish, English
Archive: 2004, freely available

Vsit the website of the Centre for Economics and Foreign Policy Studies (in Turkish)
Visit the website of the Centre for Economics and Foreign Policy Studies (in English)

Name in Turkish: Marmara Üniversitesi Uluslararası Iliskiler Araştırma ve Uygulama Merkezi
Description: Marmara University Research Cente for International Relations  (MURCIR) was established in 1994 by the academic members of the Department of Political Science and International Relations with the initiative of its first Director, Prof. Kemali Saybaşılı. He was in turn succeeded by Prof. Şule Kut, Assoc. Prof. Esra Çayhan, Prof. Günay Göksu Özdoğan and Prof. Sema Erder. The current Director is Prof. Günay Göksu Özdoğan since 2007.

MURCIR aims to provide an academic and intellectual forum and carry research in recent developments in the field of International Relations. For its initial research activity, the Center undertook to write a project on “New Balkans and Turkey” solicited by the Turkish Foreign Ministry in 1995. With an aim to initiate and contribute to platforms of discussions, MURCIR has so far taken a keen interest in post-1990 Balkan issues, Greco-Turkish relations, conflict resolution in the Middle East, Turkey's relations with the EU, foreign policy analysis of recent Turkish governments, global politicization of ethnicity, re-evaluation of international relations paradigms, and finally international migration. It has collaborated with national (Middle East Technical University, Political Science Faculty of Ankara University) and foreign (ELIAMEP-Hellenic Foundation for Defense and Foreign Policy, Haifa University, Friedrich Ebert Foundation, Goethe Institute, American Information Resource Center, UNHCR, National Institute for Working Life, NIWL-Sweden) institutions in organization of conferences, symposiums and workshops in Istanbul addressing academics, journalists, practitioners, and university students concerned with current international issues.

It has published two books in English (Günay Göksu Özdoğan, Kemali Saybaşılı (eds.), Balkans: A Mirror of the New International Order, İstanbul, Eren, 1995; Günay Göksu Özdoğan, Gül Tokay (eds.), Redefining the Nation, State and Citizen, İstanbul, Eren, 2000); contributed to fair publications (Kemali Saybaşılı, Gencer Özcan (eds.) Yeni Balkanlar, Eski Sorunlar [Old Problems Reconsidered in New Balkans], İstanbul, Bağlam, 1997; Gencer Özcan, Şule Kut (eds.), En Uzun Onyıl [The Longest Decade: Turkish Foreign Policy in 1990’s], İstanbul, Boyut, 1998; Ayhan Kaya, Günay Göksu Özdoğan (eds.), Uluslararası İlişkilerde Sınır Tanımayan Sorunlar: Göç, Güvenlik, Adalet, Toplumsal Cinsiyet, Yurttaşlık [Transboundary Issues in International Relations: Migration, Security, Justice, Gender, Citizenship], İstanbul, Bağlam, 2003; Bo Johansson, Emrehan Zeybekoğlu (eds.), “Labor” in Migration as a European Challenge: Views from Sweden and Turkey, İstanbul, YKY, 2003 (in collaboration with NIWL).
 
Languages: Turkish, English
 
Visit the website of MURCIR (in Turkish)
Visit the website of MURCIR (in English)

Name in Turkish: TürkiyeEkonomik ve Sosyal Etüdler Vakfı
Description: The Turkish Economic and Social Studies Foundation (TESEV) is an independent non-governmental think-tank, analyzing social, political and economic policy issues facing Turkey. Based in Istanbul, TESEV was founded in 1994 to serve as a bridge between academic research and policy-making process in Turkey. By opening new channels for policy-oriented dialogue and research, TESEV aims to promote the role of civil society in the democratic process and seeks to share its research findings with the widest possible audience. In order to do so, TESEV organizes regular seminars and conferences, bringing together specialists and policymakers from Turkey and abroad to discuss issues of current concern. It releases project reports, books, pamphlets, policy watch briefings and seminar proceedings aimed at general readership.
 Languages: Turkish, English
 
Visit the website of Turkish Economic and Social Studies Foundation (in Turkish)
Visit the website of Turkish Economic and Social Studies Foundation (in English)