ANNUAL

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REPORT
Ministers Message Chairmans Message About SAM List of Activities Selected Activities in Detail Turkish-Italian Forum Celebration of 20 Years of The Turkish Republic Azerbaijan Week Turkish-Greek Engagement in the Middle East and Balkans Tunisian Election Observation International Cooperation Vietnam Azerbaijan Serbia Indonesia New Faces at SAM New Leadership Summer & Winter Schools

Internships

3 4 569 13 14 16 17 2 3

Table of Contets

Our Ministrys Center for Strategic Research (SAM) is one of the essential parts of its institutional structure. Even before I began to serve as the Minister of Foreign Affairs, I had emphasized the importance of think tanks such as SAM, especially for countries like Turkey, with an ever expanding range of foreign policy issues. Generally, the bureaucratic nature of state mechanisms tends to function as an impediment to free and effi cient academic research. However, it is evident that those very institutions themselves need research centers that can serve as tools for high quality and accurate policy analysis, in particular in countries with an active foreign policy agenda. Policy without strategy is no different from seeking directions without a map. Centers like SAM are the places where these roadmaps are developed.

For years, SAM tried to meet the enormous demands of the Ministry with a very limited and modest capacity. Given the increasing proactivism of our foreign policy and the visibility of Turkey, we can no longer afford to continue the status quo. In this respect, it is among my priorities to strengthen SAM within the Ministry as a powerful and infl uential research institute. It will be a center that refl ects the intellectual resources of the country. Coupled with the restructuring of the Ministry in accordance with our goals as a country, SAM will help us achieve our goals in a much more strategic manner. Within the restructuring of our Ministry, instituting critical thinking is essential. As a result, what is expected from SAM in this process is to contribute to alternative thinking by means of analyses and policy recommendations. We also expect SAM to establish mutual interaction with the other departments at the Ministry, NGOs, universities and other think tanks. In accordance with its goals SAM has already taken great steps in a short time. Along with the numerous events that it undertook, SAM turned its traditional journal Perceptions into a much more academic publication. I will also contribute to SAMs publications in the form of Vision Papers that will be an intellectual venue for me to share my views on different issues. A stronger and more research-oriented SAM will contribute to the intellectual capital of not only our Ministry, but also the country and even the region at large. Expanding the network of SAM will help us to disseminate our views and also benefi t from those of other countries. The input provided by SAM will enhance our efforts to respond to the challenges around us and will contribute to the formulation of new policies. This is a goal that we will achieve all together through teamwork. I would like to reiterate my commitment to this goal as I

wish SAM success in this endeavor. H.E. Prof. Dr. Ahmet DAVUTOLU Minister of Foreign Affairs Republic of Turkey

In accordance with its goals SAM has already taken great steps in a

short time

Ministers Message

The feature which differentiates SAM is its ability to organize activities in cooperation with a wide international network of academics and experts

The mission of the Center for Strategic Research (SAM) is to conduct research on Turkish Foreign Policy and in related domains, to assess current policies, to develop alternative perspectives, to make policy recommendations and to provide new insights. SAM aims to be a global platform for discussions of various international topics and to cooperate with other strategic centers from different countries. It publishes vision papers, policy papers and the quarterly academic journal Perceptions. SAM has organized speeches, panels, workshops,

conferences and forums with the cooperation and participation of partner organizations, academics and experts from a wide range of institutions from both Turkey and abroad. In this respect, the feature which differentiates SAM is its ability to organize activities in cooperation with a wide international network of academics and experts. Recent developments in our region, the Arab Spring, the economic crisis in Europe, and Turkeys active and multidimensional foreign policy increase the responsibility of the Center as an advisory body within the Ministry. Therefore, SAM is in the process of restructuring, while expanding its academic and support staff. The center aims to establish itself as an infl uential and leading research venue. In 2011, SAM has performed many activities in a wide range of domains including, inter alia, the Middle Eastern issues, the Arab Spring and its implications, Turkish-Greek relations, relations with Armenia, Turkish-American relations, the geopolitics of Eurasia, the Intellectual Forum on Least Developed Countries, Turkish-Saudi Arabian Relations and the GCC, the TurkishFrench Forum, the Media Forum of TurkishSpeaking Countries, the Arab Media Forum, the Turkish-British Tatldil Forum, and the TurkishItalian Forum. SAM has also functioned as an educational institution within the Ministry. By means of its academic training programs for young diplomats, in cooperation with the Diplomacy Academy, we have been investing in the future of Turkish foreign policy. SAM signed cooperation agreements with its counterparts in Azerbaijan, Kirgizstan and Kazakhstan in 2011. It organized Azerbaijan Week, which consisted of panels and cultural activities in Trabzon, Erzurum, Kars, Idr, Konya and Ankara. In addition, it contributed to the conference on the 20th Year of independence of the Turkish states, and the Media Forum of Turkish Speaking Countries. SAM has contributed to the development of relations between Turkey and the Turkish Republics on the 20th anniversary of their independence in 2011. We consider SAMs traditional journal Perceptions as our fl agship publication. Thanks

to the invaluable contributions of our fellow scholars, Perceptions has been becoming a much more credible journal. In addition to an all new and improved Perceptions, we launched two more periodic publications: SAM Policy Papers and Vision Papers. The former aims to analyze the recent foreign policy debates, while the latter will refl ect the views of H.E. Prof. Davutolu on the issues in his wide agenda. In the light of these, SAM will continue to diversify and enrich its publication and research activities. On this occasion I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to Prof. Dr. Ahmet Davutolu, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey, for his valuable support and the SAM staff for their contributions. Prof. Dr. Blent ARAS Chairman of the Center for Strategic Research Ministry of Foreign Affairs Republic of Turkey

Chairmans Message

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The Center for Strategic Research of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Turkey (SAM) is a think-tank and research center which is chartered by law and has been active since May 1995. SAM was established as a consultative body to provide decision makers with scholarly and scientifi c assessments on relevant issues on the agenda of Turkish foreign policy and contemporary international relations. SAM conducts research and organizes scholarly events relevant to the ever-expanding spectrum of Turkish foreign policy, in partnership with Turkish and foreign experts from various counterparts around the world, as well as from domestic and international universities and government agencies. SAM provides consultancy to the relevant departments of the Foreign Ministry, and other state

institutions. In an effort to bolster its international partnerships, it has also worked toward establishing professional networks among the regional and international think tanks. In addition to its role in generating up-to-date and reliable information and insightful analyses as a think tank, SAM functions as a forum for candid debate and discussion for those interested in regional and international issues. Increasingly, SAM has become a center of attraction as a venue that facilitates exchange of ideas, since it successfully brings scholars and policy makers together through numerous panels, in-house meetings, seminars and the training programs for young diplomats it has organized recently. SAM has a widening range of publications, which have become its main contribution to the scholarly community. Along with its fl agship publication, Perceptions, a quarterly English language academic journal that features contributions from distinguished Turkish and international scholars, SAM will continue to publish SAM Papers that offer extended analyses on historical and contemporary issues in Turkish foreign policy and international relations. SAM recently has initiated Vision Papers, which will articulate the views of the H.E. Foreign Minister on pressing international issues, with an eye to stimulating informed debate on these themes worldwide. As the latest addition to SAMs publication activities, SAM Policy Papers will present scholarly analyses by Turkish and international academics on topics of interest to the policy community. With its commitment to contributing to the body of knowledge and facilitating constructive debate, particularly on Turkish foreign policy, SAM will continue to serve as a leading think-tank and research center. While doing so, it will endeavor to promote interaction

and mutual benefi t among the MFA, NGOs, other think tanks and the broader scientifi c community;, thereby strengthening the human and intellectual capital of Turkey.

With its commitment to contributing to the body of knowledge and facilitating constructive debate, particularly on Turkish foreign policy, SAM will continue to serve as a leading think-tank and research center.

About SAM

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UN Conference on the Least Developed Countries (LDC), Global Conscience Summit Intellectual Forum Preparatory Meeting, January 5, 2011, Ankara. The 1st SaudiTurkish Forum, January 10-12, 2011, Riyadh. The Intergovernmental Preparatory Committee Meeting for the UN LDC, January 10-14, 2011, New York. UN LDCs Academic Preparatory Meeting, January 20, 2011, Istanbul. Womens Initiative for Peace in Kyrgyzstan Preparatory Meeting, January 28, 2011, Istanbul. Meeting on the Armenian Question, February 3, 2011, Ankara. Participation in the Meetings for Working Groups on Reintegration, Reconstruction and Reconciliation and Issues of Governance of NESA Center RNSSC, February 911, 2011, Rome. Visit of Second Secretary Eirik Nestas Mathisen, Norwegian Embassy, to SAM, February 17, 2011. Visits of the Representatives of Women and Youth Initiative for Peace in Kyrgyzstan to Kyrgyzstan, February 27-March 2, 2011, Kyrgyzstan. Visit of Second Secretary, Finland Embassy, to SAM, March 1, 2011. Visit of General Manager Katri Viinikka, Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland, to SAM, March 3, 2011. Visit of a SAM Delegation to Azerbaijan and Signing of MoU with Center for Strategic Studies, March 5-7, 2011. Visit of a SAM Delegation to Macedonia, March 8-11, 2011. Participation in 90th Anniversary of Treaty of Moscow, Meeting, March 16, 2011, Moscow.

Visit of Miroslav Jenca, Special Representative of the UN Secretary General, to Chairman of SAM, March 23, 2011. Meeting with Zhang Zhijun, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Peoples Republic of China, March 31, 2011, Ankara. Meeting with the Delegation of China Institute of Contemporary International Relations, March 31, 2011, Ankara. Visit of Keith Ellison, US Congressman, to the Chairman of SAM, April 22, 2011. Visit of Al-Quds Delegation to Turkey, April 25-30, 2011, Ankara.

List of Activities

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LIST OF ACTIVITIES

Visit of Chariman Chingiz Shamshiev, Kyrgyzstan National Strategic Research Institute, to SAM, April 27, 2011. Training of Candidate Diplomatic Offi cers, January-April, 2011. Balkan States Media Forum, May 2-4, 2011, Bursa. The 4th UN Conference on the Least Developed Countries (LDC), May 9-13, Istanbul. The Intellectuals Forum, a side event of the 4th UN Conference on the LDC, May 9-13, Boazii University, Istanbul. Visit of Chairman of SAM to Seluk University, May 18-19, 2011. Visit of Pasquale Ferrara, Head of the Analysis and Programming Unit, Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to SAM, May 24, 2011. Visit of a SAM Delegation to Norway, May 25-27, 2011. Meeting of the Board of Directors of the International Centre for Black Sea Studies (ICBSS), May 31, 2011, Athens. Meeting with Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), June 1, 2011, Ankara. Activities with the Center for Strategic Research under the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, June 27-30, 2011, Ankara. Visit of Graduate Students, George Mason University, to SAM, June 30, 2011. Participation of Chariman of SAM in the Conference organized by NATO International School of Azerbaijan, July 5-7, 2011, Baku. SAM Summer School, July 11-22, 2011, Ankara. Meeting of Water Security Working Group of NESA Center RNSSC, July 13-15, 2011, Ankara Visit of Kyrgyzstan National Strategic Research Institute Delegation to SAM, September 5-7, 2011.

Participation to Balkan Communication Network Conference, September 14-18, Ohrid. NESA Conference on Directors Communication Network, September 12-16, 2011, Washington. Meeting organized by Strategic Studies Institute, Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation, September 19-20, 2011, Athens. Turkish-Greek Engagement in the Balkans and the Middle East Workshop, September 27-29, 2011, Istanbul.

LIST OF ACTIVITIES

Visit of a Vietnamese Delegation to SAM, October 3, 2011. Conference on the Turkic Republics at the 20th Anniversary of their Independence, October 5-6, Ankara. Turkish-British Tatli Dil Forum, October 7-9, 2011, London. Visit of the Representatives of Brookings Institute and Center for American Progress to SAM, October 12, 2011. Participation in the CICR Conference on the Arab Spring, October 16-21, Beijing. Meeting of the Working Group of the Media Platform of Turkic Speaking Communities, October 17-18, 2011. Panels of the Azerbaijan Week, organized for the 20th of Anniversary of Azerbaijans Independence, October 25 - November 1, 2011, Trabzon, Erzurum, Idr, Kars, Konya. The Second Media Forum of Turkish Speaking Countries and Communities on the Effects of Media on Turkish Language in a Globalizing World: Diversities and Common Interests, October 27-29, 2011, Baku. Revitalizing the Normalization Process between Turkey and Armenia, October 29-30, 2011, Istanbul. Visit of OSCE Secretary General, November 1, 2011, Istanbul. Signing of MoU on Cooperation between SAM and the Institute of International Political and Economic, Serbia, November 14, 2011, Belgrade. Visit of Dr. Steve Flanagan, Senior Vice President of CSIS, to SAM, November 17, 2011. Turkish-Italian Forum, November 24-25, 2011, Istanbul. The 8th Annual General Meeting of NESA Center RNSSC, November 28December 1, 2011, Istanbul. Turkish-Arab Media Forum, November 30-December 1, 2011, Istanbul.

Participation in The Gulf and Globe Meeting, December 3-5, 2011, Riyadh Visit of an Indonesian Delegation to SAM, December 6, 2011. Second Term Training of Candidate Diplomatic Offi cers, November-December 2011.

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8th Turkish-Italian Forum Nov 24-25, 2011 Istanbul
The Turkish-Italian Forum has been held since 2004 under the auspices of the Foreign Ministers of both countries. The forum that is organized by SAM and the Italian UniCredit Group contributes to the civil society dimension of the multifaceted relations between Turkey and Italy. Thanks to the forum, which has become traditional, politicians, academicians, journalists, civil society representatives and other pundits are offered the opportunity to get together and exchange ideas. The open and candid discussion platform that the forum provides has a positive impact on the perceptions of each country, and strengthens bilateral relations, as well as contributing to Turkeys EU membership process. This year the forum was held in Istanbul on November 24-25. Our delegation of 52 people comprised academicians, journalists, members of NGOs, as well as the members of our Ministry. A similar delegation of 80 people from Italy attended the meeting. Representatives of some Italian companies located in Istanbul also participated. The forum, which was opened with the remarks of Turkish Foreign Minister H.E. Ahmet Davutolu and his Italian counterpart H.E. Giulio Maria Terzi di SantAgata, was followed by two panels during the day. The open forum entitled Rethinking the Future of the Mediterranean in light of the Arab Spring, was chaired by Prof. Blent Aras and Ambassador Carlo Marsili. The closed roundtable, chaired by Prof. Fuat Keyman and Mr. Stefano SILVESTRI was entitled Civil Society Contribution and Proposals to Re-Launch the Turkey-EU Membership Process and offered an open platform for the expression of ideas within the Chatham House

rules. Following a full day of fruitful discussions, the participants enjoyed the dinner and cultural program organized by SAM which concluded the event.

Turkic Republics in the 20th Year of Their Independence, Oct 5-6

As the Turkic Republics that declared their independence in 1991 celebrate the second decade of their independence, Turkey also hosted several events in commemoration. The international meeting entitled Turkic Republics in the 20th Year of Their Independence was organized under the auspices of President Abdullah Gl in Ankara

Selected Activities in Detail

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on October 5-6, 2011 as a joint event of SAM, the Institute of Public Diplomacy, the Atatrk Cultural Center and the International Ahmet Yesevi Turkish-Kazakh University, at which our Minister of Foreign Affairs, H.E.Ahmet Davutolu, gave the opening speech. The meeting aimed to address the problems of the past two decades with scientifi c analysis. Along with the representatives of the Turkic Republics from Ankara, several academics and high level bureaucrats attended the two day meetings, at which a Mutual Agreement of Cooperation between SAM and its Kazakh counterpart, the Center for Strategic Studies, which is under the auspices of the Republic of Kazakhstan, was signed. During the event, four different panels were held on political, economic, cultural and scientifi c and educational relations between Turkic Republics, while nine academicians from the Ahmet Yesevi University presented reports on various issues.

Azerbaijan Week in Turkey, Oct 24-Dec 1 (Trabzon-Erzurum-Idr-Kars-Konya)

Based on the agreement protocol that SAM signed with its counterpart in Azerbaijan, the Center for Strategic Research, operating under the auspices of the Republic of Azerbaijan,

panels were held on university campuses in the provinces of Trabzon, Erzurum, Idr, Kars and Konya between Oct 25-Dec 1, 2011 to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the independence of Azerbaijan. The aforementioned activities aimed to evaluate the history of Turkish-Azeri relations, as well as to exchange ideas on future cooperation. In the panels, political and economic relations between Turkey and Azerbaijan, possible common steps on the Armenian issue, the impact of regional developments on the bilateral relations, as well as the impact of the media on relations was discussed. The chairman of SAM, Prof. Blent Aras, attended the conference at the Idr University as a panelist.
SELECTED ACTIVITIES IN DETAIL

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In the fi nal panel, hosted at Konya Seluk University, the emphasis was on the common problems of the two countries and the importance of generating solutions, the possible impact of soft power on the solution of the Nagorno- Karabagh issue, the positive impact of the BTC pipeline on bilateral relations, as well as future joint projects such as the Trans Anatolia Pipeline and the Baku-KarsTbilisi Railroad and their likely contributions to relations.

New Directions for Turkish-Greek Engagement in the Middle East and Balkans, September, 27-29
Recognizing that the emerging regional situation both entails complex challenges and may offer windows for fruitful collaboration, South East European Studies at Oxford (SEESOX), Baheehir University and the Strategic Research Institute (SAM) of the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs brought together a group of distinguished experts to explore the new realities on the ground at a three-day conference in Istanbul entitled New Directions for Turkish-Greek Engagement in the Middle East and Balkans. Held on 27-29 September, the event brought

together scholars and policymakers, including many of the original architects of TurkishGreek dtente, to take stock of the current state of bilateral relations between the two countries and their respective relationships with their neighbours. At the same time, participants were asked to refl ect upon how the transforming regional context, especially the Arab revolutions and evolving relations with Israel, may shape Turkish-Greek ties. We further posed the questions: what is the impact of the current economic crisis in Greece on the wider political economy of the South East European region, including Turkey? How does the growing problem of illegal migration affect bilateral relations? And how might Turkey, Greece, and the EU work together to further the cause of democracy and human rights in their neighbourhoods?

Election Observation in Tunisia

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs sent a delegation of 10 people to Tunisia to observe the founding parliamentary elections in the country following the democracy seeking movement that is called the Arab Spring, which was fi rst sparked in Tunisia. The delegation, headed by SAM Vice Chairman Dr. Mesut Ozcan, was responsible for observing the proper and democratic implementation of the elections to compose the parliament in charge of the writing of a new constitution and of
SELECTED ACTIVITIES IN DETAIL

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carrying Tunisia to general elections. The participation of a total of 661 observers from institutions such as the European Parliament, the Arab League, the Parliamentary Assembly of Council of Europe, and the Organization of Islamic Conferences was a clear indication of the importance that the world gives to the fi rst elections in the region in the post-Arab Spring era. In addition to the members of the Turkish Embassy in Tunisia, members of our Ministry offered support for the democratic process in the country along with the fi nancial assistance made to the country.

Parliamentarians from different Turkish parties were also in Tunisia. The election turnout was as high as over 90% in the country, in which a little over 50% of eligible voters registered for voting. The general conviction of observers from different countries was that the elections were fair and transparent.
SAM Vision Papers: Vision Papers will articulate the views of the H.E. Foreign Minister on pressing international issues.

Perceptions, a quarterly English language academic journal, is fl agship publication of SAM

SELECTED ACTIVITIES IN DETAIL

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Serbia
The Center for Strategic Research and the Serbian Institute of International Politics and Economics signed a Memorandum of Understanding in Belgrade on November 14, 2011. This Memorandum, whose aim is to exchange views, especially on international relations, foreign policy, global and regional security issues and related developments, and to organize activities such as conferences, panels and symposia on a rotational basis, was signed by Deniz Kler, vice president of the Center.

Azerbaijan
A delegation from the Center, headed by Prof. Dr. Blent Aras, paid a visit to Azerbaijan on 5-7 March 2011 to make contacts and to sign a Memorandum of Understanding with the Center for Strategic Research under the Presidency of the Republic of Azerbaijan. During the visit, the delegation paid a visit to Adam, one of the rayons (districts) closest to occupied Nagorno-Karabakh, Prof. Dr. Aras gave a conference entitled The Changing World and Its Implications for the South Caucasus in the Azerbaijan Academy of Public Administration, and a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between our Center and the Center for Strategic Research under the Presidency of the Republic of Azerbaijan. This visit was also closely watched by the Azerbaijani press.

Visit of the Vietnam Institute for Africa and Middle East Studies
A delegation headed by Dr. Bui Nhat Quang from the Institute for Africa and Middle East Studies (IAMES), which is a research organization

within the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences, established by the Vietnamese Government in 2004 to carry out research into basic issues of the African and Middle Eastern region, paid a visit to our Center on October 3, 2011. The parties exchanged views on the function and structure of the two centers, Turkeys Asia strategy, Vietnamese foreign policy, and the Arab Spring and bilateral relations. It was decided to organize a conference on Turkish-Vietnamese bilateral relations and to sign a Memorandum of Understanding between these two centers.

Visit of Center for Policy Analysis and Development of the Republic of Indonesia
An Indonesian delegation headed by Freddy Panggabean from the Center for Policy Analysis and Development under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia participated in a round table meeting on Promoting Regional and International Cooperation on Democracy in Ankara, on December 6, 2011. During the meeting, participants discussed and exchanged views on the blossoming of democracy in Indonesia and Turkey, their shortcomings, the Arab Spring and ways of cooperation between the two Centers.

International Cooperation

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Dr. Mesut zcan
Deputy Chairman Mesut zcan received his B.A. in Political Science and International Relations from Marmara University in 2000 and his M.A. in 2002 from the same institution. He defended his dissertation at the Boazii University Atatrk Institute in 2007. He studied at St. Antonys College, Oxford University on the Jean Monnet Master Scholarship in 2005-2006. He worked as a research assistant at Beykent University between 2000-2005. zcan was a visiting scholar at Kuwait Universitys Department of Political Science in 2009. He worked at stanbul Ticaret Universitys Department of International Relations as an

Assistant Professor between 2007 and 2011. Dr. Ozcan joined SAM of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as deputy director in September 2011. He has written three books: Sorunlu Miras Irak (stanbul: Kre, 2003), Harmonizing Foreign Policy: Turkey, the EU and the Middle East (Aldershot: Ashgate, 2008), and Medeniyetler ve Dnya Dzen(ler)i, Mesut zcan ve Muzaffer enel (ed), (stanbul: Klasik, 2010). He has published articles and book chapters on Turkish Foreign Policy, Middle Eastern Politics and Iraq. He serves on the editorial boards of Insight Turkey, Divan and Perceptions.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Seluk olakoglu

Part Time Faculty Dr. Colakoglu received his B.A. from the Department of International Relations at Ankara University in 1995, obtained his M.A. from the Department of International Relations at Middle East Technical University (METU) in Ankara in 1997, and completed his Ph.D. in the Department of International Relations at Ankara University in 2003. His dissertation was about the Northeast Asian security system. Recently, he worked as a visiting professor at the Department of Turkish Studies of the Hankuk University of Foreign Studies (HUFS) in 1999 and 2000 in Seoul, South Korea. While currently working as an associate professor in the Department of International Relations at Adnan Menderes University (ADU) in Nazilli, Turkey, he is also an advisor for the Center for Strategic Research of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkey. Dr. Colakoglu is a member of the Turkish Association of International Relations and an assistant editor of the Turkish Journal of International Relations. He is also a member of the editorial board of the Journal of Central Asian & Caucasian Studies, the Ankara Review of European Studies, and Perceptions. His research interests include political and security issues in international relations, particularly in East Asia and Central Eurasia, and Turkish Foreign Policy. He also contributed to the

New Faces of SAM

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studies on the Asia-Pacifi c region of the International Strategic Research Organization (USAK). He has published two books and thirty articles and book chapters. His books are: Northeast Asia in International Relations (in Turkish, Ankara: USAK Press, 2009); Korean Society, Culture, Politics (in Turkish, Ankara: Orion Press, 2008). His published articles have been on international security, European and Asian politics and Turkish Foreign Policy, and he has published in journals including: Asian Communication Research, China Media Research, Studia Europaea, Studia Regionalia, Journal of Central Asian & Caucasian Studies, the Turkish Yearbook of Asia-Pacifi c Studies, and the Ankara Review of European Studies.

Sevgi Akareme

Advisor Sevgi Akareme received her B.A. in Political Science and Public Administration from Bilkent University in 2001 with a full scholarship. She holds a Masters degree in International Relations from Istanbul Bilgi University and another M.A. in Political Science from Temple University, where she attended the PhD program and worked as a teaching assistant. Following her graduate studies in Philadelphia, she joined the Turkey Project at CSIS in Washington D.C., one of the leading think-tanks in the country. Upon returning to Turkey, she worked at the Offi ce of the President from 2008 till the end of 2010, where she gained invaluable government experience. Currently, she has been working as an advisor at SAM. Sevgi Akaremes Masters thesis was published as a book in 2010 entitled Military or Civilian Supremacy in Turkey? The New Framework of Civil-Military Relations in the Post- Feb 28 Era. In addition to articles she co-authored with Prof. Blent Aras, she has

published articles and commentaries in Insight Turkey and Todays Zaman in English.
NEW FACES OF SAM

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Prof. Dr. Blent Aras
Chairman, Center for Strategic Research (SAM)
Blent Aras received his B.A. in Political Science and International Relations from Bogazici University in 1994, and his Ph.D. in International Relations from the same institution in 1999. He was a visiting scholar at Indiana Universitys Center for Eurasian Studies in 1998, Oxford Universitys St. Anthonys College in 2003 and a research scholar at the Paris-based European Union Institute of Security Studies in the summer of 2004. He became a full professor in 2006 at Ik University. He was Senior Visiting Professor of Turkish Studies at St. Anthonys College, Oxford in 2010. He taught at the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences of Istanbul Technical University before he was appointed as the chairman of the Foreign Ministrys Strategic Research Center (SAM). He has been at this post since November 2010. He is also academic advisor to the Minister of Foreign Affairs. He has had 13 books published abroad and at home. His articles have appeared in numerous magazines and newspapers and have been translated into several languages. Prof. Blent Aras has been focusing on Turkish Foreign Policy, Middle Eastern Politics, and Central Asia, and as an expert in these fi elds he has done consulting work for numerous organizations. Prof. Aras writings include Palestinian- Israeli Peace Process and Turkey (Novascience, 1998), New Geopolitics of Eurasia and Turkeys Position (Frankcass, 2002), Turkey and the Greater Middle East (TASAM, 2004) and, as co-editor, Oil and Geopolitics in the Caspian Sea Region (Praeger, 1999), and September 11 and World Politics (FUP: 2004). His articles have appeared in Middle East Policy, Journal of Third World Studies, Journal of South Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, Third World Quarterly, Political Science Quarterly, International Journal, Futures, Journal of Southern Europe and the Balkans, Mediterranean Quarterly, Nationalism and Ethnic Policy and Central Asia/Caucasus. His

articles have been translated into Persian, Russian and Arabic. He wrote a weekly column on foreign policy at Sabah daily in 2009 and 2010. He is editor-in-chief of Perceptions and founding editor of Alternatives: Turkish Journal of International Relations. He serves on the editorial boards of Turkish Studies, Journal of Balkans and Near Eastern Studies, Insight Turkey, Alternatives: Turkish Journal of International Relations, and Central Asia/Caucasus, International Law and Politics, Orta Asya ve Kafkasya Aratrmalar, Ortadou Etdleri, Stratejik ngr. Prof. Aras organized a series of conferences on several issues relating to Turkish foreign policy, security in the Middle East, Asia and Africa, and became a member of several congressional scientifi c committees. He contributed to the establishment of the Center for Eurasian Strategic Studies (ASAM) and the Center for TurkishAsian Strategic Studies (TASAM). He is a member of the international Board of Directors of the International Centre for Black Sea Studies. He provided consultancy for organizations such as Oxford Analytica, Microsoft, and Human Rights Watch.

New Leadership

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As a completely new initiative, SAM organized the fi rst summer school in July 2011 for young students interested in foreign policy and diplomacy to inform them about the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as well as the profession. A limited number of outstanding sophomore and junior students, selected from among a high number of applicants based on their academic record and essays in foreign policy, attended lectures by our experienced diplomats from within the Ministry and academics at SAM. Successful participants received SAM Summer School Certifi cates. The SAM Summer School, which turned out to be a fruitful experience for the students, will be institutionalized and serve as a tool for public diplomacy for the Ministry. The SAM Summer School has an offi cial Twitter account (@SAMYazOkulu) which is active during the lectures. Following the successful example of the fi rst

Summer School, initiated by SAM within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and due to the high demand for it, SAM decided to launch a Winter School in a similar format. The fi rst Winter School will be held during the semester break of 2012, Jan 28-Feb 2. Applications will be accepted online only at the www.mfa.gov.tr until Dec 31, 2011. As at the Summer School, distinguished diplomats of our Ministry will address the participants in the fi elds of their expertise and familiarize the aspiring young students with the profession of diplomacy. SAM admits full-time and part-time interns throughout the year for undergraduates, recent graduates as well as graduate students who want to gain knowledge and experience in Turkish foreign policy. Although the internships are unpaid, the insight and experience they offer is priceless. The applications are admitted online at SAMs web site. Responsibilities of interns include, but not limited to doing research in foreign policy issues, assisting the supervisors at SAM, attending meetings as note takers and help preparing post-meeting reports. Successful interns at SAM who receive a certifi cate at the end of their internship usually develop a better idea of how the Ministry of Foreign Affairs functions, develop personal connections with the diplomats and become a part of SAM Alumni.

Summer & Winter Schools Internships