Bankalar Cad. Minerva Han, No:2 K:3 34420, Karaköy
Istanbul/
Turkey
- Democracy and community development
- Human rights
- International/Cultural relations
- Research
The Turkish Economic and Social Studies Foundation (TESEV) is an independent non-governmental think-tank, analyzing Turkey’s most pressing social, cultural, political and economic issues. Based in Istanbul, TESEV was founded in 1994 to serve as a bridge between academic research and the policy-making process in Turkey, by opening new channels for policy-oriented dialogue and research.
By opening new channels for policy-oriented dialogue and research, TESEV focuses on the most urgent and important policy questions facing Turkey and its neighborhood in the new century, to help consolidate an inclusive and participatory democracy in the country and its neighborhood. TESEV also aims to promote the role of civil society in the democratic process and seeks to share its research findings with the widest possible audience. TESEV studies are grouped under three Programs: Democratization, Foreign Policy, and Good Governance.
Under the three program areas, Democratization, Foreign Policy and Good Governance, TESEV conducts academic research, prepares and disseminates publications based on this research, and carries out advocacy on the basis of such research through organizing conferences, seminars and workshops, in each of its working areas. A good part of its advocacy efforts is geared towards policy makers, in order to provide input to the policy making processes through scientific research and socio-political analysis.
Some of the most remarkable of TESEV’s work have been on the issues of Turkey-EU relations, peace and conflict mediation in its region, Turkey’s relations with Middle East, Turkey-Armenia rapprochement, the Cyprus issue, constitutional process in Turkey, minorities and citizenship rights, media, security and democracy, transparency, combatting corruption and strengthening civil society.
TESEV is one of the most prominent institutions in Turkey working on a range of different areas. We are one of the few think tanks in Turkey which has good working relations with different institutions and network in different parts of the world including Europe, Middle East, Caucasus and the U.S. We have a culture and the experience of running our projects with different partner organizations. If we join the AFL network we would be more than willing to engage members of the AFL network into our work and share our capacity with them in various projects. TESEV can also contribute to the network by disseminating the network’s activities through its distribution channels and try to promote it to the widest possible audience.
TESEV believes that joining the AFL network will especially be invaluable for its Foreign Policy Program. The Program aims to contribute to the democratization of foreign policy in Turkey and abroad by creating an environment for dialogue on key issues. Through research and advocacy activities, the Foreign Policy Program promotes solutions to outstanding problems in Turkey’s region. Its activities span various regions, including the Middle East, Caucasus and Europe, and involve cross-cultural dialogue, perceptions research, advocacy and publications. The Program has been working on challenging issues such as Turkey-Armenia relations, Cyprus problem and the recent developments in the Middle East and has so far been successful in contributing to the dialogue and bridging the gap in mutual perceptions. We are confident that we will enrich our scope and benefit from the AFL network through establishing new partnerships and finding new funding opportunities in the Euro-Mediterranean region. Especially the Program’s projects on mutual understanding, dialogue and conflict mediation in the Middle East will be relevant in this respect.