May 22, 2013: Parliament

We spent two days in Ankara visiting Parliament, the Foreign Ministry, and the headquarters of various Political Parties.

The first person we met on Wednesday was Dr. Mesut Ozcan, who is a member of a think tank in the Foreign Ministry. On the issue of Turkey/Israel relations, Dr. Ozcan stated that though no money can replace the lives of Turkish citizens that were lost, Turkey and Israel have national interests.  We discussed the idea that, especially regarding Syria, it might make sense for Turkey and Israel to come together.  

Probably the most exciting meeting of the day, though, was with the US Ambassador to Turkey.  The optimism that came from him regarding the Turkish people was stunning, and I thoroughly enjoyed how frank he was with us about the issues.  A theme that we encountered throughout the day (and our entire visit) was the ongoing peace process between the Turks and the Kurds.  One thing that Ambassador Francis J. Ricciardone, Jr. emphasized (as well as many others) is just how fragile it is.  Although many people are very optimistic about the peace, it is important to recognize just how much is hanging in the balance.   

May 23, 2013: Parliament

May 23, 2013

Thursday the 23 we had the privilege to meet and have breakfast in Parliament with  Aykan Erdemir, from the Republican's People's Party (CHP) MP. Erdemir is a Harvard graduate who wrote his PhD thesis on the Alevis in Turkey. Before his position at CHP, he used to teach at Middle East Technical University in the department of Sociology. He explained to us the importance of sectarian politics in Turkey regarding the Alevis, Sunni, Turkish and Kurdish populations.

Friday

On Friday we took a tour of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk's gravesite. It is a huge area, and the feeling one gets from it is reminiscent of the Lincoln memorial, however, it is free of adornment and very plain. The impression one gets from it is that of immense power.

Sunday May 19, 2013: Sultanahmet

Sunday the 19th was dedicated to an archaic area known as Sultanahmet. This neighborhood hosts one of the most beautiful, religious and historic sites in the world, the Hagia Sophia. It was first built as a church during the reign of Byzantium Emperor Justinian I and later converted into a mosque in 1453 by Sultan Mehmed with the fall of Constantinople. The grandeur of the building was simply breathtaking. Even under renovation, one could be lost in its authenticity, its architectural finesse and its artistic achievement. 

Koc University

Yesterday we had meetings with two professors at Koc University (pronounced kOch), which is regarded as one of the best private universities in Turkey. Professors Ziya Onis and Murat Somer were wonderful enough to give us their time, and what we learned was invaluable. 

Becca, Professor Onis, and Leo.  Policy in the Middle East by the AKP is of "over engagement."

Ephesus

Saturday was a historic day for EC's Team Turkey.  Not only did we visit the Virgin Mary's house and one of the oldest civilizations  on earth, but we learned more than we could have dreamed and had so much fun doing so.  For example, though only landholding free men were citizens in Ephesus, there was a senate which was comprised of guilds.  For a society that used slaves, the distribution of power seemed very fair.  Speaking of slaves, interestingly enough, in the public bath houses slaves were to sit on the toilets in the winter to keep them warm.

Leo and Becca in front of the House of the Virgin Mary

The Second Day

Our second day in Istanbul proved to be quite the academic journey. Fueled by a balanced breakfast and the necessary caffeine  intake we ventured into the city in order to meet and interview several professors from Bachesehir and Bogazici Universities, both located at the European side of Istanbul. Our first stop was Bachesehir University where Professor Cagdas Sirin, Sabri Sayari, and Yimaz Esmer provided their knowledge and expertise on varying subjects concerning the current political, economic and social climate of Turkey. After our interviews at Bachesehir Univesity were completed, we navigated through some rough city traffic in order to reach Bogazici University, known as the Harvard of Turkey. The setting was  beautiful. The school was located in a hilltop, fully exposed to the majestic view of the Bosphorus strait, also known as the Istanbul strait. Here, we were welcomed and had the opportunity to interview Professor Mine Eder over lunch.  Professor Eder elaborated on some crucial economic and political matters regarding the energy and construction sectors of Turkey.