The Centre for Turkey Studies is delighted to invite you to a CEFTUS Westminster Debate with keynote speaker His Excellency, Euripides L. Evriviades, High Commissioner for the Republic of Cyprus to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Please see his biography below.

The accession of Cyprus to the EU in 2004, is the single most important strategic development in the country’s turbulent history since independence in 1960.  It affirmed Cyprus’s place in Europe and its importance in the security of the Eastern Mediterranean, therefore proving to be a win-win development, both for the Island and for the region.  Cyprus also became a member of the Eurozone in 2008. In this presentation, His Excellency, the High Commissioner of Cyprus, will underline why both Cyprus and the EU are important to each other and to the long term security, development and economic prosperity not only of the Eastern Mediterranean, but of the European continent. Will the recently discovered hydrocarbons in the Eastern Mediterranean be the prolegomena of the establishment of a union analogous to the European Coal and Steel Community? Is it a blessing or a curse? And what about the unresolved Cyprus question?  Where does it fit in this strategic matrix? What are the chances for a successful conclusion of the resumed talks? Is the Cyprus question  intractable or insoluble as some have argued? And what does a solution or non-solution mean for the people, the rule of law and peace, security and stability of Cyprus and the region?

This debate is kindly hosted and chaired by Rt Hon John F Spellar MP for Warley.

The event will take place between 7-9PM on Wednesday 9th December 2015 in Committee Room 10, House of Commons. Please note security checks are required to enter the House of Commons, at the Cromwell Green Entrance. We kindly ask you to arrive at 6:30PM to allow the event to start and end on time. Booking is required for this event to ensure adequate seating availability.

Please register here. Alternatively, RSVP to info@ceftus.org .

We look forward to welcoming you to this event.

Speaker Biography

Euripides L Evriviades is High Commissioner for the Republic of Cyprus to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland as of 04 November 2013. Before assuming this post, he was Deputy Permanent Secretary/Political Director of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Jan., 2012–Nov., 2013) serving intermittently as Ag. Permanent Secretary. Prior, he served as Ambassador / Permanent Representative to the Council of Europe (Nov., 2008–Jan., 2012), having also chaired its Rapporteur Group on External Relations (2011). Previously, he was Political Director of the Ministry (2006-2008), having concurrent accreditation to the State of Kuwait, pro tem Nicosia.

Mr Evriviades was Ambassador to the United States of America and non-resident High Commissioner to Canada, serving concomitantly as: the Permanent Representative to the International Civil Aviation Organization; the Permanent Observer to the Organization of American States; and Representative to the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (2003-2006). He also served as Ambassador to the Netherlands (2000-2003) and to Israel (1997-2000). Earlier in his career, he held positions at Cypriot embassies in Bonn, Germany (1986-1988); Moscow, USSR/Russia (1988-1993); and Tripoli, Libya (1995). On 20 April 2015, he was voted by his peers in London as Diplomat of Year from Europe, an award of The Diplomat Magazine (est. 1947). On 15 January 2006, he received in Washington, DC, the King Legacy Award for International Service, bestowed upon him by the Committee on the International Salute to the Life and Legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., A Man for All Nations.

‘Cost of Syrian Refugee Crisis: Social, Economic and Political Benefits and Burden’

The Centre for Turkey Studies (CEFTUS) is pleased to invite you to a Westminster Debate on the current Syrian refugee crisis and policy responses in Europe. Our keynote speakers are Prof Dr Ibrahim Sirkeci, Professor of Transnational Studies and Director of Regent’s Centre for Transnational Studies (RCTS), Regent’s University London and Prof Dr Petra Bendel, Professor of Political Science and Academic Director at the Friedrich-Alexander-University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Germany.

Please see speaker biographies below.

The event will take place between 7-9PM on Wednesday 27th January 2016 in Committee Room 11, House of Commons. Please note security checks are required to enter the House of Commons, at the Cromwell Green Entrance. We kindly ask you to arrive at 6:30PM to allow the event to start and end on time. Booking is required for this event to ensure adequate seating availability.

Migration and refugee crisis are the key themes in current policy debate in the UK, Europe and beyond. Although relatively small numbers of people around the world are migrants and even smaller numbers are refugees, sudden population movements in response to shock events and crises cause more anxiety for governments and societies than at other times. Recent negotiations and agreement between the European Union and Turkey showed the importance of direct costs of dealing with such sudden influxes. Given the fact that many countries are under some austerity measures and operating on tight budgets along with ever greater public anxiety about migration, the costs of refugees and burden sharing are important issues to unpack. There are more questions than answers in this crisis.  Do benefits of human movements weigh more than the costs? Are there tested policy responses to address both the refugee crisis and the anxiety abou it? Is migration the last bullet for the European integration project? Is Syrian crisis the end of it? Is it the first time, we are facing such population movements? How much did Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan spend? Is €3 billion good enough? What awaits Germany, UK and others in Europe?

Half a year ago the European Commission presented its new “European Agenda for Migration“. With refugee arrivals at EU Member States rapidly increasing during this summer and autumn, this agenda was followed by a myriad of Council meetings on refugee and migration issues. New instruments and measures have been implemented. Assessing these instruments on the basis of the EU’s own norms – human rights and refugee rights – and on its own strategic objective – policy coherence and solidarity – as well as looking at power relations within the EU and among its Member States, the system shows important deficits:

It lacks solidarity with the first host countries, transit countries and international organisations. The EU needs to take refugee rights under stronger consideration when it concludes agreements with third countries. It has to take care of its extraterritorial obligations when it comes to search and rescue operations, the military operation EUNAVFOR MED and Regional Development and Protection Programmes (RDPPs). The refugee policies also fall short of solidarity with the refugees themselves: Measures for a controlled, secure and legal access to the territory of the Member States are still missing. At the same time, the system demonstrates a serious solidarity deficit among the Member States. A solution for a fairer distribution of refugees among the Member States is urgently needed. The Dublin system’s lack of functionality causes a chain reaction, while the Schengen system comes under considerable pressure. If the EU wishes to survive as an integrated system, it will have to reinvent itself in many small steps and focus its attention on human rights.

Please join us for an informed debate on the current and future challenges of refugee crisis in Europe and beyond.

Hosted by Yvette Cooper Labour MP for Normanton, Pontefract and Castleford, the session will critically look at the costs of human mobility with particular reference to the current Syrian refugee crisis and explore policy responses in Europe. The financial, social and political costs of the crisis and recommendations will be discussed.

We are looking forward to welcoming you!

Speaker Biographies

Prof Dr Ibrahim Sirkeci is Professor of Transnational Studies and Director of Regent’s Centre for Transnational Studies (RCTS), Regent’s University London. Sirkeci holds a PhD from University of Sheffield and BA from Bilkent University. His research covers migration, ethnicity, remittances, transnational marketing and consumers, labour markets and integration. Sirkeci is also the editor of several journals including Migration Letters, Transnational Marketing Journal, Kurdish Studies and Remittances Review. He authored several books on migration including Cultures of Migration, the Global Nature of Contemporary Mobility (U. of Texas Press, 2011), Migration and Remittances during the Global Financial Crisis and Beyond (The World Bank, 2012), Turkish Migration, Identity and Integration (TPLondon, 2015). Contact at http://www.regents.ac.uk/RCTS& http://sirkeci.co.uk & @isirkeci

Prof Dr Petra Bendel is Professor of Political Science and Academic Director at the Friedrich-Alexander-University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Germany. Bendel studied in Heidelberg, Germany and Bilbao, Spain. She served as a researcher at the GIGA Institute in Hamburg, Germany and Heidelberg University as well as the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg. She is the author numerous publications on borders, refugees’ rights, asylum and integration policies in the European Union and abroad. She is also a political advisor on immigration issues. Contact at: http://www.regionenforschung.uni-erlangen.de/wir-ueber-uns/unser-team/petra-bendel/

The Istanbul Policy Center-Sabanci University-Stiftung Mercator Initiative and the Centre for Turkey Studies (CEFTUS) will host an exclusive rountable meeting on ‘Post-Election Turkey’ on 15 January 2016 at Istanbul Policy Center in Istanbul, Turkey.

Keynote speakers are:

Prof Dr Fuat Keyman, Director of Istanbul Policy Center and Professor of International Relations at Sabancı University,

Lord William Wallace, Liberal Democrat Peer and Former Government Whip in the House of Lords,

Lord Peter Hain, Former Labour Cabinet Minister

Prof Dr Ersin Kalaycıoğlu, Senior Scholar at Istanbul Policy Center and Professor at Sabancı University

Associate Professor Senem Aydın-Düzgit, Senior Scholar at Istanbul Policy Center, Jean Monnet Chair in the Department of International Relations at Istanbul Bilgi University

Dilek Kurban, Marie Curie Fellow at the Hertie School of Governance in Berlin, Co-Chair of the Dahrendorf working group ‘Europe and Turkey’

Bill Park, Senior Lecturer in the Defence Studies Department at King’s College, Visiting Scholar, TOBB-ET University.

The meeting will elaborate on Turkey’s domestic dynamics and foreign policy following the last elections.  Whilst it is difficult to anticipate what the future holds for Turkey, our panelists will analyze Turkey’s political momentum by specifically looking into Turkey-EU relations and the failing Kurdish peace process, as well as Turkey’s economic and social prospects.

The Centre for Turkey Studies is hosting an exclusive reception where communities and businesses have an opportunity to meet and network in British Parliament.

Our special guests will be Vice-President of the Republican People’s Party (CHP) Mr Gursel Tekin MP for Istanbul and Deputy Chairman of the CHP Dr Sezgin Tanrikulu MP for Istanbul. British Parliamentarians will also attend the reception.

This event is kindly hosted by Seema Malhotra MP for Feltham and Heston.

This reception will take place on Monday 8 February 2016, between 7.00PM and 9.00PM in Macmillan Room, Portcullis House. Please note that security checks are required to enter Portcullis House, we kindly ask you to arrive at 6.30PM, allowing the event to start and end promptly on time.

Portcullis House is opposite Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament and above Westminster tube station.

Please click ‘register’ to attend.

The Centre for Turkey Studies (CEFTUS) is pleased to invite you to a Westminster Debate with keynote speakers Vice-President of the Republican People’s Party (CHP) Mr Gursel Tekin MP for Istanbul and Deputy Chairman of the CHP Dr Sezgin Tanrikulu MP for Istanbul.

Please see speaker biographies below.

The event will take place on Tuesday 9 February 2016, between 7.00PM and 9.00PM in Committee Room 4A, the House of Lords. Please note that security checks are required to enter the House of Commons, so we kindly ask you to arrive at 6.30PM, allowing the event to start and end promptly on time.

This event is kindly hosted by Lord Northbrook.

Following the November General Elections, despite Justice and Development Party’s (AKP) victory which was expected to bring political stability in the country, Turkey’s tumultuous months have not come to a halt. Violent clashes between Turkish Armed Forces and the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in southeastern Turkey have intensified leaving over a hundred civilians killed and many injured according to human rights organisations. Due to a string of curfews in south-eastern towns and cities, many have had to flee. In addition to calls for an end to the hostilities to both sides and return to peace talks, Turkish political agenda has been occupied with talks over making of Turkey’s first civil constitution replacing the 1982 military constitution with a focus on establishing a presidential system. At the same time, deadly terrorist attacks in Turkish cities carried out by DAESH (also known as ISIS, the so-called Islamic State) bombers over the recent months, upheaval in the region due to the Syrian war, and the tensions escalating between the region’s leading countries such as Iran and Saudi Arabia has made Turkey’s foreign policy ever more pivotal.

Our keynote speakers, CHP MPs Mr Tekin and Dr Tanrikulu, will address the issues that Turkey is currently facing and the main opposition party’s strategies for resolution.

The speakers will speak in Turkish. However, translation will be delivered during the speech and Q&A.

We look forward to welcoming you at this CEFTUS Westminster Debate.

Booking is required for this event to ensure adequate seating availability.

Speaker biographies

Mr Gursel Tekin MP is Vice-President of the CHP. Mr Tekin began his political career when he became a member of Social Democracy Party (SODEP) in Turkey in 1984. He became a councillor in Kadikoy Municipality in 1989. Tekin joined the CHP following to his political party Social Democrats Party (SHP) merged with the CHP and he was elected to be Vice-Mayor of Kadikoy in 1999 and became Provincial CHP chairman of Istanbul Province in 2007 prior to his promotion to Deputy Chairmanship of the CHP in 2010. His articles have been published in several newspapers and journals.

Dr Sezgin Tanrıkulu is Deputy Chairman of the CHP. He is a human rights lawyer and co-founded the Diyarbakır Human Rights Association. He studied Law at Istanbul University, completed his Master’s in Public Law Dicle University and his PhD in Social Sciences at Kultur University. He served as Head of Diyarbakir Bar Association between 2002-2008. In 1997, Dr Tanrikulu won the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award.

In the wake of International Women’s Day, The Centre for Turkey Studies is delighted to invite you to CEFTUS Women’s Rights and Achievements Reception on 2 March 2016.

Women of contemporary Turkey have achieved many political and social rights up to globally accepted women’s rights standards, nevertheless, they have had to cope with traditional patriarchal values and Turkey’s male-dominated society. More and more women are in public life and in senior positions, including some female representation in the Turkish parliament. Although violence against women are on the increase and sexist discourse dominates Turkey’s political and social spectrum, women throughout Turkey with many grassroots movements protest against inequalities that they encounter.

CEFTUS would like to celebrate achievements of women of all ethnicities and religions from Turkey and their invaluable contribution in Turkey’s progress in many fields. This reception will welcome all and particularly women originating from Turkey. Our aim is to bring women and men together to raise awareness of women’s rights.

Caroline Flint Labour MP for Don Valley will kindly host this reception.  

The reception will take place between 7-9PM on Wednesday 2 March 2016 in Macmillan Room, Portcullis House.

Please note that security checks are required to enter Portcullis House, we kindly ask you to arrive at 6.30PM, allowing the event to start and end promptly on time.

Portcullis House is opposite Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament and above Westminster tube station.

Looking forward to welcoming you at this event.

The Westminster Debate was kindly hosted by Keith Vaz, Labour MP for Leicester East. The keynote speakers for the debate were Ms Gulseren Onanc, Assembly Member of the Republican People’s Party (CHP), Ms Sinem Arslan of the University of Essex, Dr Janroj Keles of Middlesex University, and Dr Elizabeth, President of the University and College Union (UCU). The debate was chaired by Sara Whyatt, freelance consultant for Freedom of Expression.

The Westminster Debate discussed academic freedom in Turkey. This discussion stemmed from a series of events which took place in Turkey, beginning in January 2016, which saw attacks on academic freedom and restrictions on freedom of speech. In January 1,400 academics signed a petition, organised by Academics for Peace, calling for an end to ‘Turkey’s deliberate deportation of Kurdish people’. In the days and weeks that followed 27 academics were detained by the police over allegations of ‘terror propaganda’, they and others were labelled as ‘traitors’, others were investigated by police, slandered by the government, and lost their jobs. Although there has been disagreement surrounding the content of the petition in question, many from the Turkish opposition and international organisations were critical of the government’s response and its violation of its obligation to protect freedom of expression under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Ms Gulseren Onanc, a politician and a women’s rights activist, began by giving an overview of the infrastructure and political landscape in Turkey, which she sees as seminal in this debate. Although there are four main political parties in Turkey, she stressed that almost total executive power lies in one party and its president, the Justice an Development Party (AKP) and President Erdogan. This monopoly on power leaves little room for any participation from the opposition and civil societies, who have different positions on the Kurdish issue than the AKP. The current government seek to increase secularism and security, and to exclude the Kurdish people. They are ignorant to critical voices, Ms Onanc stressed, and refuse to listen to calls for a re-establishment of the peace process. The main challenges to overcome, according to Ms Onanc, were the need to abolish the existing polarisation between parties and to establish trust with politicians. Additionally, there is a need to regain the problem solving capacities that have been lose through the exclusion of critical voices. The solutions proposed by Ms Onanc is to be found in civic initiatives, by active citizens discussing and establishing solution, by the courage of the people. Freedom of expression has been violated, she stated, and everyone needs to contribute and cooperate in order for solutions to be realised.

Ms Sinem Arslan, a signatory of the petition, highlighted the human rights abuses in Turkey that cannot be seen in the mass media. Like Ms Onanc, she related to the gross misconduct of government authorities, and asked for a return to the peace process as a solution. She told of how she had seen her peers and fellow signatories subjected to smear campaigns, referred to as ‘terrorists’ and ‘pseudo-intellectuals’, accused of inciting people to violence. The solution, according to Ms Arslan, there is a need for increased international support and legal processes, an increase in the international discussion about what can be done in solidarity with Academics for Peace.

Dr Janroj Keles began by referring to the history of the Turkish government who have been doing the same thing over and over again, yet expecting a different result. In Turkey, he argued, there is a politics of fear that is characterised by extra-judicial killings and collective punishment of the Kurdish people. According to Dr Keles, the peace process was a guise used by the government to gain hegemonic domination of the Kurds through state institutions. Freedom is central to the core of academic knowledge, yet in Turkey this freedom is countered by government brutality, racism and discrimination. The actions taken against the academics in question hold no legitimacy or legality, Dr Keles argued, they are extra judicial and illegal. Unless action is taken, he stressed, there would be increased negative impacts on scholarly and critical research. Young academics will be scared and leave the country, which will ultimately result in a loss of production of critical knowledge and limited access to critical debates.

Dr Elizabeth Lawrence was the final speaker. The principle of academic freedom, she stressed, is vital for democratic societies; the ability to question and debate political and social alternatives strengthens society. Every individual should be entitled to the ability to question without risking their liberty. To be critical, and to question, is the heart of what it is to be a university, and this principle has been internationally recognised. Additionally, she stated, it is our internationally duty to protest when such rights are infringed, to take action against oppressive measures, ask ‘why?’. There such be an end to the prosecutions and dismissals which have taken place in Turkey, the answer of the government should never be to attack those who disagree with or question you. The academics in question should be reinstated, their rights respected, and there should be a return to legality. This, she argued, would see a step towards a sustainable peace in Turkey, and an end to oppression; individuals should have the right to question what is happening without risking a loss of liberty or employment.

Summarised by Eilis O’Connell.
Speaker Biographies

Ms Gulseren Onanc is an Assembly Member of the Republican People’s Party (CHP). She was a Member of the Central Executive Committee, as deputy chairperson of the CHP and assumed the responsibility of managing the Party’s public relations between 2012 and 2013. She has an MBA from Michigan State University. Upon graduation, Onanc took on many business roles in prominent Turkish and international businesses including Eczacibasi, Balsu and Ferroro. She developed numerous consumer good brands and founded Ticketturk, online ticketing company in 2003. Onanç was among the founders of KAGIDER (Entrepreneur Women Association of Turkey), founded in 2003. Onanc served as the President of KAGIDER from 2007 to the end of 2011. She played an active role in the establishment of the Commission of Equal Opportunities for Women and Men in the Turkish Grand National Assembly. In 2009, Onanc received the “World of Difference Award” from the International Alliance of Women (TIAW).

Dr Elizabeth Lawrence is President of University and College Union (UCU). She has served as an National Executive Committee (NEC) member and national negotiator for UCU and one of its predecessor unions, NATFHE (National Association of Teachers in Further and Higher Education). She was Regional Secretary for Yorkshire and Humberside Region from 1993 to 2013. As UCU President she is particularly concerned to support members in tackling problems of work intensification and casualisation of employment. She is employed as a Principal Lecturer in Sociology at Sheffield Hallam University. Her teaching and research activities are in the Sociology of Work and Employment and Equality/Diversity.

Dr Janroj Keles is a research fellow at Middlesex University, working on ethno-national conflicts, migration, diaspora and statelessness. He is the author of the book titled Media, Diaspora and Conflict Nationalism and Identity amongst Turkish and Kurdish Migrants in Europe.

Ms Sinem Arslan is a PHD Candidate and Graduate Teaching Assistant at Department of Government at University of Essex.

CEFTUS and LSE Middle East Centre Joint Forum

‘Changing Kurdish Dynamics in the Middle East’

The Centre for Turkey Studies (CEFTUS) in partnership with the London School of Economics Middle East Centre is pleased to invite you to a Joint Forum Debate with speakers veteran journalist and author Mr Cengiz Candar, Dr Zeynep Kaya, LSE Middle East Centre Research Fellow and Mr Robert Lowe, Manager of the Middle East Centre.

The event will take place on Tuesday 19 April 2016, between 7.00PM and 9.00PM in Committee Room 8, House of Commons. Please note that security checks are required to enter the House of Commons, so we kindly ask you to arrive at 6.30PM, allowing the event to start and end promptly on time.

This event is kindly hosted by Sharon Hodgson Labour MP for Washington & Sunderland West and Shadow Children’s Minister.

At the 100th anniversary of infamous Sykes-Picot agreement which defined the borders of Iraq and Syria, the peoples of the region whose lives have been affected by this agreement over the last century find themselves again in the middle of a conflict that may have a global effect. Starting from the Iraq War in early 2000s, shattered borders in the region have been reclaimed by the barbaric terrorist organisation DAESH also known as ISIS since their emergence due to intensifying Syrian conflict from 2011 onwards.

Kurds in Syria who had been denied autonomy at the beginning of the century have become key actors in their fight for survival and for democracy against DAESH. At the same time, Kurds in Turkey as a result of collapse of peace talks between the Turkish government and the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) have suffered gravely with many civilians losing their lives over the last year, reminding many observers of the circumstances in 1990s. As a nation-wide political and security crisis looms in Turkey where many consecutive terror attacks have been carried out by DAESH and the PKK over the last year, Mr Cengiz Candar will elaborate on the 100th Anniversary of Sykes-Picot and Turkey, Syria and the Kurds at the brink of a change. Mr Lowe will share his analysis on the present and future of Rojava in Syria and Dr Zeynep Kaya will analyse the implications of the sudden shift from talks to conflict in Turkey.

We look forward to welcoming you at this joint forum.

Booking is required for this event to ensure adequate seating availability.

Speaker biographies

Mr Cengiz Candar studied political science and international relations at Ankara University. He began his career as journalist in 1976 in Turkish daily Vatan after living some years in the Middle East and Europe due to his opposition to the regime in Turkey following the military intervention in 1971. An expert for the Middle East (Lebanon and Palestine) and the Balkans (Bosnia and Herzegovina), Candar worked for the Turkish News Agency and for Turkish newspapers Cumhuriyet, Hürriyet, Referans and Güneş as a war correspondent. Currently, he is a columnist for Radikal. Candar served as special adviser to Turkish president Turgut Özal between 1991 and 1993. His interest was drawn to the events during the ethnic unrest in the Balkans between 1993 and 1995. From 1997, Candar lectured for two years on “History and Politics in the Middle East” at Bilgi University in İstanbul. Between 1999 and 2000, he did research work on “Turkey of the 21st century” as a Public Policy Scholar at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars and a Senior Fellow at the United States Institute of Peace. His description of the 1998 events in Turkey as a “post-modern coup” gained notice internationally, though Radikal columnist Türker Alkan had used the term two weeks earlier.

Dr Zeynep Kaya is a Research Fellow at the LSE Middle East Centre. Her expertise is on the international relations of the Middle East, with a focus on Kurdish politics, nationalism, self-determination, sovereignty and gender. She is currently completing her research project on international-local interactions to support gender mainstreaming in Iraqi Kurdistan with a focus on the Women, Peace and Security agenda.

Mr Robert Lowe is the Manager of the Middle East Centre. He joined the centre when it opened in 2010. Previously, Robert was Manager and Research Fellow, Middle East and North Africa Programme, Chatham House. He held a Research Fellowship from The Leverhulme Trust from 2008 to 2010 and was an Honorary Fellow at the Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies, University of Exeter, from 2008 to 2010.

CEFTUS will be celebrating its fifth anniversary this year. Our anniversary event will mark success of our work so far and will raise funds to carry out our future projects. Our anniversary celebrations in previous years welcome members of parliaments of UK and Turkey, London councillors, academics, journalists, business people and representatives of communities. This year, we will again be joined by distinguished guests from UK and Turkey’s political and business world.

Acclaimed and multi-talented poet, composer, author and intellectual Mr Zulfu Livaneli will honour us by attending our 5th anniversary. He will sing from his long list of crowd favourites.

Please see below details for this event:

9 October 2016

18.00-23.00

London Westminster Park Plaza Hotel

200 Westminster Bridge Road
London  SE1 7UT

Dress code: Lounge Suit/Cocktail Dress

Since 2011, we have been able to create opportunities for vibrant and enlightening analysis and discussion of issues concerning Turkey. Our guests and supporters come from across the political spectrum in both Turkey and the United Kingdom, with representatives of Turkey’s Justice and Development Party, Republican People’s Party and Peoples’ Democratic Party participating in our events. In the United Kingdom, members of the Conservative, Labour, Liberal Democrat and Scottish National Parties have provided invaluable assistance to us. Please visit our ‘events’ pages on ceftus.org

Click here for CEFTUS 2015 Annual Booklet

Read PM David Cameron’s Support Message

Watch Jeremy Corbyn’s Support Message

Community Achievement Awards

As part of our anniversary celebrations, we will host CEFTUS Community Achievement Awards 2015 to celebrate the work of Turkish, Kurdish and Cypriot community members in Britain. The awards recognise achivements and contributions of our communities in several categories. Please see winners of the last year’s awards here.

See photos of 2015 Anniversary Gala

Tickets

This year’s CEFTUS Anniversary Gala will begin with a drinks reception and be followed by three course meal. This is a paid event as the funds raised will go towards organisation of our future public forums and projects. CEFTUS is a not-for-profit organisation and does not receive any sponsorship or funding other than kind donations from individuals. CEFTUS team mostly consists of volunteers who work tirelessly to keep our non-partisan political platform alive.

Ticket information will be announced in due course.

Donations

If you are unable to purchase a ticket, but would like to contribute to our work please consider making a donation as our anniversary gala is a fundraising event. No amount is too small and any contribution will be appreciated. We have always endeavoured to provide a public platform and welcome everyone to our free and paid events. Please visit our ‘make a donation’ page.

We would like to extend our deepest thanks to you for your interest in and support of our work in strengthening ties between Turkey and the United Kingdom and looking forward to welcoming you to at the 4th CEFTUS Anniversary Gala.

This public forum was kindly hosted and co-chaired by Stephen Kinnock, Labour MP for Aberavon. Keynote speaker was Dr Yilmaz Esmer, Professor of Political Science at Bahcesehir University in Istanbul. The event was held on 24 May 2015, in the House of Commons and it focused on the idea that a strong correlation exists between citizens’ mindsets and the nature of the political regimes. This line of thinking can be traced back to Plato, and emphasises the crucial role of the prevalence of democratic values for the long-term sustainability of a democratic system of government. In recent years there has been a steady decline in Turkey’s rankings on all dimensions of democracy and rule of law. The public forum examined the relationship between the state of affairs as expressed in studies published by international organisations and the political culture of Turkish society.

Stephen Kinnock opened by illustrating the need to look at how Turkey has been for the last number of years and where it is going in the way of values, beliefs, and the political landscape. Dr Yilmaz Esmer said that Turkish democracy is no longer a joking matter. In fact, when one speaks of Turkish democracy, the word should be in quotation marks. It was become a process of selection, not election, in which one candidate has been elected unanimously. Dr Yilmaz then discussed Turkey’s position in democratic ratings, which give an idea about Turkey and the international community in terms of civic liberties, freedoms, and political rights. In the Rule of Law Index, Turkey is ranked eighty. In the Economist Intelligence Unit Democracy Index (2015) Turkey has dropped significantly in recent years. It shows that the political culture and functioning of government are closely correlated. What is responsible for this?, Dr Yilmaz asked. Dr Yilmaz said that people’s mentality is a more important factor than institutions, leaders, laws, and constitutions.

The mentality, mindset and political habits of society are related to the well-functioning of the government. Culture matters, and it matters a lot, Dr Yildiz claimed. Quoting Welzel & Ingleheart (2009), he said ‘democracy is fragile when it is a democracy without democrats’. There are severe problems with how Turkish democracy has been practices, Dr Yildiz explained, and not just legal problems, leadership problems, or problems of mindsets. When asked if it was good to have a strong leader who does not have parliament or elections, 60% of people answered in the positive (good or very good). 60% of people would never sign a petition, compared to only 10% who have signed a petition in the past. Turkey also gave extremely low levels of tolerance and gender equality. In regards to interpersonal trust there was only a level of 12%. Inter-personal trust is extremely important, Dr Yildiz explained, to democratic system of government and trust in elections. Dr Yildiz expressed that his findings suggested that religion was a possible factor in this outcome.

The keynote speech was followed by a Q&A session which was chaired by Mr Gareth Winrow.

Summarised by Eilis O’Connell.

Speaker biography

Prof Dr Yilmaz Esmer received his B.A. degree from Yale and his Ph.D. from Stanford Universities in the US. His research and publications focus on political culture,  comparative values, religion (Islam in particular) and politics, voting behaviour, and Turkish society and politics. He has been the principal investigator for Turkey of the World Values Survey project since 1990 and has served on the Executive Committee of the World Values Survey Association.  Currently, he is the vice-chair of the Scientific Advisory Board of WVSA. He has also conducted surveys in Turkey for international surveys programs such as the European Social Survey, European Values Study, Transformation Research Unit and the Comparative Study of Electoral Systems. He has served as Provost at Bogazici University and Rector (Vice Chancellor) at Bahcesehir University in Istanbul. Prof. Esmer is a member of the Science Academy in Turkey. Dr Esmer has authored numerous books and articles. Recent publications include The International System, Democracy and Values (2009) (co-edited with Thorleif Pettersson). Uppsala, Uppsala University Press; “Diversity and Tolerance: Rhetoric versus Reality” (2010) in Janssens, Maddy, et al., eds., The Sustainability of Cultural Diversity: Nations, Cities and Organizations. Cheltenhaum, U.K. and Northampton, MA, USA: Edward  Elgar. 131-155; “Elite and Mass Values: Religion as an Intervening Factor” (2010) in Van Beek, Ursula J., ed., Democracy under Scrutiny: Elites, Citizens, Cultures. Opladen and Farmington Hills, MI, USA: Barbara Budrich Publishers. 221-240; “Democracy, Civil Society and Islam” (2013) in Dekker, Paul, Loek Halman and Joep de Hart, eds. Religion and Civil Society in Europe. Springer; “Economic Crisis and Political Polarization: A Challenge to Civic Culture?” (2015) Taiwan Journal of Democracy, vol. 11, no 1, 129-46.

The Centre for Turkey Studies (CEFTUS) is delighted to invite you to a Westminster Debate with keynote speaker Prof Dr Nuray Mert, political scientist and columnist.

The event will take place on Friday 10 June 2016, between 6.30PM and 8.30PM in Diskus Room of Unite House (128 Theobald’s Road, Holborn, London, WC1X 8TN).

Prof Dr Nuray Mert will discuss current political changes in Turkey with a focus on the controversial presidential system and a new constitution and how this prospect of regime change will affect the government’s approach to the Kurdish issue and how the Kurdish political movement will shape itself under the new regime. Prof Mert will also analyse Turkey’s frustrated foreign policy over Syria, its fight against DAESH and strained relations with other neighbouring countries.

We look forward to welcoming you at this Westminster Debate.

Booking is required for this event to ensure adequate seating availability.

Looking forward to hearing from you.

Speaker biography

Prof Dr Nuray Mert is a political scientist, columnist and former TV presenter from Turkey. She is a lecturer at the Department of Economics at University of Istanbul, and writes regular columns for national newspapers on current affairs, including Hurriyet Daily News. She hosted a TV show on current and political affairs at a national channel, and this was taken off air after the then Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan publicly criticised her. Her doctorate thesis was on ‘Secular Thought in Early Republican Period’.  In 2012–2013, she was an International Scholar in Residence at the Stanford Humanities Center. Her published books include Hep Muhalif Olmak (Always in Opposition) (2001) and Turkiye’de Sivil Toplum ve Milliyetcilik (Civil Society and Nationalism) (2002).

The Centre for Turkey Studies (CEFTUS) is pleased to invite you to a Westminster Debate with guest speaker Mr Ahmet Hakan, columnist and TV presenter.

The event will take place on Thursday 9 June 2016, between 7.00PM and 9.00PM in Committee Room 10, House of Commons. Please note that security checks are required to enter the House of Commons, so we kindly ask you to arrive at 6.30PM, allowing the event to start and end promptly on time.

Turkey has been on the verge of major political changes which has been a process constructed by the Justice and Development Party (AKP) since the party came into power in 2002. Currently, a ‘Turkish style’ presidential system with a bid to replace Turkey’s parliamentary government system is on the agenda and President Erdogan now with ceremonial powers is set to gain further authority by virtue of this change. As part of the discussions over the new presidential system, a new Turkish constitution is set to be drafted with a view to replace the current one which was drafted under military rule. The AKP government, however, has been criticised by the current opposition parties and internationally for its ever-increasing authoritarian policies. Freedom of expression has deteriorated with many journalists imprisoned and politicians including Peoples’ Democracy Party (HDP) Members of Parliament, whose parliamentary immunity is set to be removed, has been targeted. Violent clashes in south-eastern Turkey between Turkish military and Kurdish armed factions have intensified since June 2015 leaving hundreds of civilians killed and many injured. At the same time, there have been a number of terrorist attacks suicide attacks by Daesh (also known as ISIS), and attacks by the far left DHKP(C) and Kurdish separatist TAK in cities including Ankara and Istanbul.

Ahmet Hakan, a renowned columnist who has been a witness of the political changes in Turkey over the last decade, will share his observations and analysis on the current affairs and potential scenarios for the future.

This event is kindly hosted by Neil Coyle Labour MP for Bermondsey and Old Southwark.

We look forward to welcoming you at this joint forum.

Booking is required for this event to ensure adequate seating availability.

Looking forward to hearing from you,

Speaker biography
Ahmet Hakan Coskun is a Turkish columnist and TV presenter. He studied at Uludag University in Religious Studies. He wrote stories when he was a student at the university. Some of his stories were published in Yedi Iklim Journal. Between 1993 and 1994, he worked as a journalist in TGRT TV channel. He was part of the team of news programme called “Yanki”. Whilst Kanal 7 was in the process of establishment, he transferred to this TV channel as a journalist. After he worked as a journalist, he worked as Director of News and Current Affairs and reporter for Kanal 7. In the following years, he prepared the Iskele Sancak programme and he published a book containing several episodes of this programme. In 2004, he resigned from Kanal 7. He joined the Yeni Safak daily as a columnist and afterwards he worked for the Sabah daily . Currently, he writes his columns for the Hurriyet daily and presents a popular current affairs programme “Tarafsiz Bolge” on CNNTurk since 2005. His published books are Neden Milliyetcilik? (Why Nationalism?) (2001), Ceteler, Mafya ve Siyaset (Gangs, Mafia and Politics) (2001),  Sivil, Dayanılmaz Bir Yurek (Civilian, An Unendurable Heart) (1999).

English PEN, in partnership with the Centre for Turkey Studies (CEFTUS) will host a roundtable discussion with the leading Turkish editor and journalist Can Dündar on 29 June to discuss press freedom and the challenges to freedom of expression in Turkey. This is a closed meeting.

Can Dündar is editor-in-chief of the newspaper Cumhuriyet. He is currently appealing a sentence of five years and ten months for revealing state secrets, handed down earlier this month, which has been widely criticised by human rights groups. His colleague Erdem Guül received a sentence of five years.

The two journalists were charged last November following the publication of reports claiming that  intelligence services were sending arms to jihadis in Syria.

Spaces are limited, by invitation only.

Mr Dundar will speak at a CEFTUS Westminster Debate in the evening (7-9pm) on 29 June. Click here to find out more and RSVP.

The Centre for Turkey Studies (CEFTUS) is delighted to invite you to a Westminster Debate with keynote speaker renowned journalist and author Mr Can Dundar.

The event will take place on Wednesday 29 June 2016, between 7.00PM and 9.00PM in Committee Room 10, House of Commons. Please note that security checks are required to enter the House of Commons, so we kindly ask you to arrive at 6.30PM, allowing the event to start and end promptly on time.

Mr Can Dundar, editor-in-chief of Cumhuriyet daily and Mr Erdem Gul, Ankara bureau chief of the newspaper have been taken the court by President Erdogan personally for allegations of revelation of state secrets in a May 2015 news story. Dundar, who recently survived an attack by a gunman who attempted to shoot him outside a courthouse in Istanbul, sentenced to five years and 10 months in prison and Gul to five years. This court case has become a wider uproar about freedom of press in Turkey as any dissenting news reporting has been targeted by the authorities on allegations of ‘terrorism activities’. Whilst Freedom House ranks Turkey’s press freedom as ‘not free’, Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) reported that Turkey is the fifth worst jailer of journalists globally in 2015, with 14 journalists currently behind the bars in the country.

In this highly crucial event, Mr Can Dundar will speak on the deteriorating press freedom in Turkey and share his analysis on the current political developments.

This event is kindly hosted by Seema Malthotra MP for Feltham and Heston.

We look forward to welcoming you at this joint forum.

Booking is required for this event to ensure adequate seating availability.

Looking forward to hearing from you.

Speaker biography

Mr Can Dundar is a journalist, columnist and author. He is currently editor-in-chief of Cumhuriyet daily. He studied at London School of Journalism in the UK and holds a Master of Arts in Public Administration from Middle East Technical University (ODTU). He was a lecturer of Cultural Studies at Ankara University Faculty of Communication and at ODTU Political Sciences Public Administration. He worked for several newspapers and magazines including Yanki (1979-1983), Hürriyet (1983-1985), Nokta (1985), Haftaya Bakıs (1987), Soz (1987-1988) and Tempo (1988). Dundar began his TV career at state television TRT. He has made and presented several programmes and documentaries including ‘40 Dakika‘, ‘Canli Gaste’, ‘Sari Zeybek’, ‘Golgedekiler’, ‘Aynalar’. He has over 30 books published.

To celebrate the launch of her new book Turkey: The Insane and the Melancholy, the Centre for Turkey Studies (CEFTUS) invites you to join the noted and renowned Turkish commentator and novelist Ece Temelkuran for a discussion about her work and the political crisis unfolding in Turkey.

This event will take place between 8pm and 9pm on 12 September 2016 in Committee Room 12 of the House of Commons. This event is kindly hosted by John Woodcock MP for Barrow and Furness.

Turkey: The Insane and the Melancholy examines the historical roots of Turkey’s current authoritarian malaise. Through personal stories, cultural objects and historical moments, Temelkuran provides a beautifully written survey of the nation, this historic ‘bridge between east and west.’

Temelkuran is an award-wining journalist and novelist, you can follow her on Twitter @ETemelkuran.

Please note security checks are required to enter the House of Commons. We kindly ask you to arrive at 7.30PM to allow the event to start and end on time. Booking is required for this event to ensure adequate seating available.

The Centre for Turkey Studies (CEFTUS) is delighted to invite you to a public forum with Dr Sinan Ciddi, Executive Director of Institute of Turkish Studies and Visiting Assistant Professor, Georgetown University.

This event will be kindly chaired by Bill Park, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Defence Studies, King’s College.

Please see speaker biography below.

The event will take place between 7-9pm on 31 August 2016 in Room G3 of School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS).

Since the failed coup attempt of 15 th July in Turkey, many accepted norms about Turkey’s pro-western credentials have begun to be questioned by policy makers in Washington and now in Europe. As the fallout from the coup progresses, it is becoming increasingly apparent that the Erdogan regime is interested in exacting maximum benefit out of the incident to solidify and augment his presidential power base. On the one hand, we have witnessed a widespread purge of the country’s military and bureaucratic cadres, and on the other, a reinvigorated attempt to dismember and hold accountable the Gulen movement as the primary party responsible for instigating the coup. Both approaches are likely to significantly strain Turkey’s relationship with NATO and the European Union: in imposing a “State of Emergency” rule, the Erdogan regime appears to be inciting public fervor to bring back the death penalty specifically for the coup plotters and Fetullah Gulen.

Dr Ciddi will analyse the impact of the coup attempt and Erdogan and the Turkish government’s anti-American/NATO and anti-EU sentiments in their public speeches.

We look forward to welcoming you to this event.

Speaker Biography

Sinan Ciddi is an expert on Turkish domestic politics and foreign policy. He obtained his Ph.D. from the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London in 2007 in the field of Political Science. Ciddi continues to author scholarly articles, opinion pieces and book chapters on contemporary Turkish politics and foreign policy, as well as participate in media appearances. In addition to his teaching and research responsibilities at Georgetown, Ciddi also serves as the Executive Director of the Institute of Turkish Studies. Ciddi was born in Turkey and educated in the United Kingdom. He was previously an instructor at Sabanci University between 2004-2008 and completed his Post-Doctoral Fellowship at the same institution between 2007-2008. Distinct from his articles and opinion editorials, Ciddi’s book titled Kemalism in Turkish Politics: The Republican People’s Party: Secularism and Nationalism (Routledge, January 2009) focuses on the electoral weakness of the Republican People’s Party. Between 2008-2011, he established the Turkish Studies program at the University of Florida’s Center for European Studies.

The Centre for Turkey Studies (CEFTUS) is pleased to invite you to a public forum with Mr Cenk Sidar, Founder and CEO of Sidar Global Advisors (SGA), a Washington, DC-based global macro research and strategic advisory firm.

This event is kindly hosted and chaired by George Howarth MP for Knowsley.

Please see speaker biography below.

The event will take place between 7-9PM on Thursday 18th October 2016 in Committee Room 9, House of Commons.

Following the failed coup attempt on July 15, Turkey is facing a barrage of institutional, security, economic, and democratic pressures. What are those challenges and how will Turkey respond to those major pressures? Will Turkey be able to address the Kurdish conflict, the economic crisis, and the threat of the Islamic State? Vulnerabilities in the Turkey do not only impose risks to Turkey but also to the wider region. In this discussion, Sidar will analyse all these instability factors and provide general policy recommendations to overcome these challenges and make Turkey as a source of stability in the region.

We look forward to welcoming you to this event.

Speaker Biography

Cenk Sidar is the founder and CEO of Sidar Global Advisors (SGA), a Washington, DC-based global macro research and strategic advisory firm that has been assisting top financial institutions, governments and multinational corporations investing in emerging/frontier markets since 2009. In November 2015 elections, Sidar was a MP Candidate from the main opposition, Republican People`s Party (CHP). Since 2012, Sidar has been advising the leader of CHP on foreign policy and economic issues and represented the party in various international platforms.

Sidar has written for, been interviewed by, and worked with the world’s leading newspapers and media organizations, including the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, CNBC, Bloomberg, Foreign Policy, CCTV and Al Jazeera. Sidar has also addressed audiences around the world, including at Carnegie, Bard, Cornell, Tufts, Johns Hopkins (SAIS) and CFR. Sidar holds an MA degree in international economics and international relations from Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) in Washington, a postgraduate degree in European studies from SAIS’s Bologna Center in Italy, and a BA degree in business administration and international relations from the Istanbul Bilgi University.  In 2012, Sidar has been selected as one of the top 99 foreign policy leaders under 33 in the world by the Diplomatic Courier and the Young Foreign Policy Professionals. He is a member of the Johns Hopkins University SAIS Advisory Council, Atlantic Council, Turkish Social Democracy Foundation (SODEV), Atlantik-Brucke e. V., the European Young Leaders Program, the Jean Monnet Program, the Project Interchange Alumni, and the American Academy of Achievement. He is fluent in English and German.

This event has now been postponed to a later date in December due to urgent commitments of the speakers. We will soon be in touch regarding the new date for the event. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.

Invitation to a private roundtable with AK Party MP for Ankara, and Chair of Defence and Intelligence Parliamentary Commission Emrullah Isler, AK Party MP Zehra Taskesenlioglu, Dr.Gulnur Aybet, and Dr. Mustafa Kibaroglu  

The Royal United Services Institute, in partnership with the Centre for Turkey Studies (CEFTUS) and Turkish Asian Center for Asian Studies (TASAM), invites you to attend a privateconversation with Emrullah Isler, Justice and Development (AK) Party MP for Ankara and Chair of Defence and Intelligence ParliamentaryCommission and former Deputy Prime Minister; Zehra Taskesenlioglu, AK Party MP for Erzurum and Spokesperson for EU ParliamentaryCommission; Professor Dr. Gulnur Aybet of Bahcesehir University; and Professor Dr. Mustafa Kibaroglu of MEF University

The Event will be Chaired by Professor Tahir Abbas, Senior Research Fellow at the Royal United Services Institute in London.  

The delegation will discuss Turkey, Britain and the EU’s policies on counter-terrorism, and current political developments. As Ankara is indeed faces a dual security threat with the renewed insurgency of the PKK (the Kurdistan Workers‘ Party) and an ongoing struggle with the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). EU and Ankara’s foreign and domestic policies, in their struggle against terrorism, will be decisive for the future of the Turkey’s ties with European powers. The evolution of these policies and their possible outcomes will be debated in the prospect of ensuring stability within the country and in the region large.   

The Event will be held at the Royal United Services Institute, 61 Whitehall, on 10 October from 10:00 a.m to 12:00 p.m.  

Emrullah Isler has been an AK Party MP for the Ankara Province since 2011, and Chair of Defence and Intelligence Parliamentary Commission. From 2013 to 2014 he was Deputy Prime Minister of Turkey.  

Zehra Taskesenlioglu is an AK Party MP for Erzurum and Spokesperson for the EU Parliamentary Commission.  

Dr. Gulnur Aybet has been a Member of the Council of Management at the British Institute in Ankara since 2012 and is a Professor and Head of Department in Political Science and International Relations at Bahcesehir University.  

Professor Dr. Mustafa Kibaroglu has been the Department Chair of the Department of Political Science at International Relations at MEF University since 2014 and was an Academic Advisor at the NATO Centre of Excellence Defence Against Terrorism in Ankara from 2006 to 2012. 

Registration is on a first come first served basis and space is limited, please email info@ceftus.org to register. 

The Centre for Turkey Studies (CEFTUS) is pleased to invite you to a rountable with Mr Mehmet Emin Ekmen, Former Justice and Development Party (AKP) MP.

Please see speaker biography below.

The event will take place between 10.30am-12.00pm on Monday 10 October 2016 at the Stage in Impact Hub Westminster (1st floor, New Zealand House, 80 Haymarket, London, SW1Y 4TE).

Following the failed coup attempt on 15 July, Turkey’s state of emergency which was declared by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan almost three months ago has now been extended for another three months. The Turkish Government claims that the security threat remains at a high level to destabilise Turkey as the supporters of the Turkish cleric Fettullah Gulen have infiltrated major organs of the state, including the military, judiciary, police and other elements of the civil bureaucracy. In this time of state level crisis, Turkey faces political, economical and social instabilities whilst being under democratic pressures. The purge of the Gulenists appears to affect the Kurdish political movement as 11,500 Kurdish teachers have recently been dismissed due to alleged links with the Kurdish armed group, Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) as well as many pro-Kurdish media outlets have been closed.

Mr Mehmet Emin Ekmen, former AKP Member of Parliament, will evaluate the current developments in Turkey following 15 July coup attempt and share his analysis of the future of Turkish politics.

Please email info@ceftus.org to register. 

We look forward to welcoming you to this event.

Speaker Biography

Mr Mehmet Emin Ekmen is a former Justice and Development Party (AKP) MP for Batman. He is currently founding member of Mesopotamia University which aims to provide fully Kurdish education. He was a member and secretary of the Wise People Commission for the Southeast Region on the Kurdish Peace Process. He studied law at Dicle University and he holds an MA in Public Law in Social Sciences Institute of the same university. He is currently a PhD candidate in Public Law at Istanbul University. Ekmen was a member of Batman Bar Board, and Chair of Human Rights Commission and Women and Children Rights Commission when he used to work as a lawyer. He was a Representative of TEMA Trust, Director of Batman Volunteers for Environment Association, Chair of Gunisigi Association Board, Batman Representative of Sports Federation for Everyone and lastly, a founding member of Batman Mazlum-Der Association. He has published reports and articles on issues such as democratisation, human rights, the Kurdish issue, terrorism and the FETO terrorist organisation. He is a legislative consultant for the Union of Turkish Public Notaries and a member of arbitration board of the Turkish Football Federation.