Reports - Conference Books
EU-TÜRKİYE COOPERATION IN CENTRAL ASIA AND SOUTH CAUCASUS: TOWARDS SUSTAINABLE ENGAGEMENT IN ENERGY AND CONNECTIVITY
Author : Turgut Kerem Tuncel & Bruno Hamm-Pütt
Date : 2024
Language : English
Type : Conference Book
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This conference book contains texts and summaries of the speeches and presentations delivered at the conference titled “EU-Türkiye Cooperation in Central Asia and South Caucasus: Towards Sustainable Engagement in Energy and Connectivity” that was jointly organized by the Center for Eurasian Studies (AVİM) and Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS) Türkiye on 22 February 2024 in Ankara. The last part of the book is an overview of the main points commonly raised at the conference.

The conference program is attached at the end of this conference book.

AVİM 2023 YILLIK RAPOR | ANNUAL REPORT
Date : 2024
Language : Turkish & English
Type : Report
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It is a pleasure to present our Annual Report that provides a brief overview of the works and activities of the Center for Eurasian Studies (AVİM) during the year 2023.

The global balance of power and geopolitics that have been shifting since the collapse of the Soviet Union have become more perceptible during 2023. Türkiye, which was seen as the easternmost point of the West or the eastern post of the West during the Cold War era has also become the westernmost point of the East, moving to the core of an evolving Eurasian geography encompassing Europe and Asia. This new geopolitical location has introduced numerous advantages, but has also created serious challenges and constraints for Türkiye that obligates the country to be attentive.

Perceiving Türkiye as a land of connectivity and integration between the East and the West with its two wings, one in the Balkans and the other in the Caucasus, AVİM considers Türkiye, a Balkan country, to be an inseparable part of the European geography and as such a natural part of the European Union (EU). Its membership to elemental organizations and institutions of the European geography evinces its European identity. On the other hand, following the establishment of independent states of the South Caucasus and Central Asia, Türkiye has nourished close ties with this formerly secluded geography based on its deep-rooted social, cultural, kinship bonds there, thus enabling Türkiye to open up to Asia and to reconcile its European and Asian profiles.

AVİM also organizes various conferences, book presentations, and panel discussions with the participation of international partners, some of which we also publish in print as AVİM reports. This year we have initiated a partnership program with think-tanks in the region and began holding online discussions and exchange of views.

AVİM, as an independent and non-profit think-tank, has been carrying this voluminous work with the meticulous and often self-sacrificing work of a limited number of staff. The AVİM staff deserves sincere thanks and warm congratulations for their unrelenting efforts, conscientious, and fruitful work. On behalf of AVİM, I would also like to express our thanks and gratitude to all who have shown interest in and given support to our work and activities.

ÇAĞDAŞ BATI AVRUPA AKADEMİ DÜNYASINDA IRKÇILIĞIN VE YABANCI DÜŞMANLIĞININ ARAŞTIRILMASININ ZORLUĞU: FRANSA ÖRNEĞİ
Author : Teoman Ertuğrul Tulun
Date : 2023
Language : Turkish
DOI : 10.5281/zenodo.7972868
Type : Research Paper
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The French academic landscape has been increasingly confronted with contentious debates surrounding the concept of "Islamo-leftism" and the potential influence of foreign states in higher education and research institutions. This paper intends to provide a snapshot introduction to these issues, focusing on the role of key political figures, implications for the study of race and racism in academia, and potential consequences for academic freedom in France. In addition, a fact-finding mission initiated by the "Rassemblement des democrats, progressistes et independants (RDPI)" (The Rally of Democrats, Progressive, and Independent)   group in July 2021, under the chairmanship of Senator Etienne Blance and rapporteur Senator André Gattolin, investigated non-European state influences in the French university and academic world. The report from this mission formulated 26 recommendations grouped into five objectives to prepare France and its institutions for the struggle to preserve and better protect the French scientific heritage, academic freedoms, and research integrity from potential foreign interference.

YUNANİSTAN’DAKİ TÜRK VAKIFLARININ HUKUKİ STATÜSÜ
Author : Gözde KILIÇ YAŞIN
Date : 2023
Language : Turkish
Type : Report
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The Turkish foundations in Greece are essential institutions for the Turkish population in Greece to preserve their identity and thus maintain their existence. All the minorities remaining in Greece have been left with a legal system that guarantees their lives, their identity, their education, their freedom of worship, their future, and their economy. The law applicable to foundations, which are the public economic resources of the Turks, was shaped by the legal system established during the Ottoman period and its regulation in Islamic law. International treaties and bilateral agreements have also determined the procedure by which Greece will apply this law. Greece has also made the required arrangements in its domestic law and turned them into sustainable rules of law. After the start of the junta period in 1967, however, the rights of minorities in general and the law concerning the foundations were detached from their main foundations. As Greece returned to democracy, the re-establishment of law on minority issues was left in an insufficient state.

Gözde Kılıç Yaşın's Turkish-language report titled “Yunanistan’daki Türk Vakıflarının Hukuki Statüsü” (“Legal Status of Turkish Foundations in Greece”) examines the legal system regulating foundations and its practice in Greece. The report demonstrates the link between the preservation of autonomy in the administration of foundations and the overall rights of minorities. Accordingly, all the rights of the Turkish minority guaranteed by international agreements constitute an interconnected protection law.  The benefits of leaving the administration of Turkish foundations to elected members of the Turkish minority should be considered together with the detriments of the failure to establish the position of Grand Mufti on the preservation of autonomy in the administration of the foundations.

In the light of the relevant legal cases, the report examines Greece’s practices regarding the properties of churches and the assets of foundations, which have similar legal status as they serve the same public purpose. Thus, this study attempts to define the Greek state’s position on these two institutions. We are of the opinion that this report submitted for your consideration is enlightening on the subject and will contribute to the related literature due to its findings on the interconnection of minority rights and the comparison with the law on church properties.

DIFFICULTY OF STUDYING RACISM AND XENOPHOBIA IN MODERN WESTERN EUROPEAN ACADEMIA: THE CASE OF FRANCE
Author : Teoman Ertuğrul Tulun
Date : 2023
Language : English
DOI : 10.5281/zenodo.7976415
Type : Research Paper
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The French academic landscape has been increasingly confronted with contentious debates surrounding the concept of "Islamo-leftism" and the potential influence of foreign states in higher education and research institutions. This paper intends to provide a snapshot introduction to these issues, focusing on the role of key political figures, implications for the study of race and racism in academia, and potential consequences for academic freedom in France. In addition, a fact-finding mission initiated by the "Rassemblement des democrats, progressistes et independants (RDPI)" (The Rally of Democrats, Progressive, and Independent)   group in July 2021, under the chairmanship of Senator Etienne Blance and rapporteur Senator André Gattolin, investigated non-European state influences in the French university and academic world. The report from this mission formulated 26 recommendations grouped into five objectives to prepare France and its institutions for the struggle to preserve and better protect the French scientific heritage, academic freedoms, and research integrity from potential foreign interference.

AVİM 2022 YILLIK RAPOR | ANNUAL REPORT
Date : 2023
Language : Turkish & English
Type : Report
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It is a pleasure to present our Annual Report for the year 2022 that provides a brief overview of the works and activities of the Center for Eurasian Studies (AVİM) during the past year. 

As the risk and effect of the Covid-19 pandemic receded, our Center was, more or less, able to go back to its pre-pandemic daily routine, and working from home and holding online lectures became the exception.

The Russian-Ukrainian War has made a global impact, no doubt first and foremost in the region, particularly in Türkiye, a neighbor in the Black Sea enjoying good relations with both Ukraine and Russia. On the other hand, sanctions applied to Russia because of its aggression and its virtual isolation by the West have accentuated the role and position of Türkiye in the new Eurasian geopolitics, acknowledged even by those who in the past refused to see or accept this development.
 

AFRİKA’DA EMPERYALIZM VE SOYKIRIM
Author : Numan HAzar
Date : 2022
Language : Turkish & English
Type : Report
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During the last few decades, ‘values’ have become a central element of the western political discourse. Concepts like human rights, democracy, pluralism, and diversity have turned into markers for justifying or disapproving certain policies. In the present, this demeanor is even more salient within the realm of international relations. Western countries as the self-proclaimed advocates of a value-driven approach to foreign affairs and global politics, feel themselves justified to launch criticisms or even to take actions against any country or entity, which they accuse of acting out of the acceptable line drawn by the ‘values.’ Here the problem is not with the ‘values’ per se, but with their insincere use for political or economic purposes, which has turned the political discourse of values into a major hegemonic tool in the hands of the western capitals.  

The long essay of the Retired Ambassador Numan Hazar titled “Imperialism and Genocide in Africa” discusses the colonial atrocities in Africa perpetrated by the European countries who have not yet come to terms with their imperial barbaric acts and their consequences in a booklet format with translations into Turkish, English, French, and German. By this way, Ret. Amb. Hazar also underscores Europe’s moral flaw of weaponizing the discourse of values against actors perceived as antagonists or enemies.

EU-TÜRKİYE COOPERATION IN CENTRAL ASIA: CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR CLOSER COOPERATION IN THE REGION
Author : Turgut Kerem Tuncel
Date : 2022
Language : English
Type : Conference Book
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In times of growing geopolitical competition and in the search for alternative energy suppliers, Central Asia is increasingly gaining global interest and importance. In recent years, the region has become crucial for security and stability. Türkiye has been strengthening its ties with Central Asia based on deep-rooted connections. These ties were recently cemented with the inauguration of the Organization of Turkic States, further institutionalizing Türkiye’s relations with Central Asia. Meanwhile, the European Union updated its Central Asia Strategy in 2019 and underlined its recognition of the strategic importance of Central Asia.

At the conference titled “EU-Turkey Cooperation in Central Asia – Challenges and Opportunities for Closer Cooperation in the Region” held on May 13th 2022 in Ankara, Türkiye, researchers and diplomats from Türkiye, EU and Central Asian countries discussed what synergies can be utilized between the European Union and Türkiye and what the prospects are for closer cooperation.

This report contains the summary of the opening remarks, keynote speeches, and the presentations delivered during the conference, as well as an overview of the commonly underlined points regarding EU-Türkiye Cooperation in Central Asia.

RUSYA-UKRAYNA SAVAŞININ SOSYOLOJİK AÇIDAN TAHLİLİ
Author : Ayşegül Aydıngün
Date : 2022
Language : Turkish
ISBN : 978-605-73572-1-2
Type : Report
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Rusya’nın Ukrayna’ya karşı başlattığı askeri harekâtın gerekçesini güvenlik endişesinin oluşturduğu Başkan Vladimir Putin’in konuşmalarında ifadesini bulmaktadır. On dokuzuncu yüzyılda Napolyon’un, yirminci yüzyılda Hitler’in Rusya’ya saldırılarının başarısızlıkla sonuçlanmasının ancak Ukrayna’nın derinliklerinden geçtikten sonra Rusya’ya ulaşabilmelerinden kaynaklandığı askeri değerlendirmelerin mutabık olduğu bir gerçektir.

Sovyetler Birliği döneminde Rusya’nın kendisinin yanı sıra sadece iki cumhuriyetin, Ukrayna ve Belarus’un, Birleşmiş Milletler Teşkilatı’nda temsil edilmesini sağlamasının bu iki devleti köklü bağlarla kendinden saymasının bir göstergesi olarak görmek mümkündür.

2014 yılı ve sonrasındaki gelişmeler de, Rusya’nın bakış açısıyla, 1991 yılından sonra Batı’nın NATO aracılığıyla kendi aleyhine genişleme girişimlerine karşı ortaya koyduğu bir tepki olarak değerlendirilmektedir. Sovyetler Birliği’nin 1991 yılında dağılmasını takiben sona erdiği ilan edilen soğuk savaş, Rusya’nın Batı destekli Ukrayna’ya saldırmasıyla küresel bir sıcak savaş tehdidi olarak canlanmış, 1962 Küba krizinden bu yana ilk defa bir nükleer savaş olasılığı gündeme gelmiş, herhalükarda dünya yeni bir kutuplaşmanın ve soğuk savaşın içine girmiştir.

Bölgesel görünmekle beraber, tüm Avrupa güvenliğini doğrudan ilgilendiren ve uluslararası ilişkilerde küresel çapta yeni bir dönemin başlangıcını haber veren bu gelişme, konunun tarihi, siyasi, askeri, uluslararası ilişkiler ve Doğu-Batı çatışması yönleriyle sıkça ele alınmıştır. Konunun daha az irdelenen ve daha duyarlı sosyolojik yönü ise yeterince araştırılmamıştır. Özellikle ülkemizde bu konuda yapılan araştırma ve çalışmalar pek sınırlı, hatta yüzeysel kalmıştır.

Prof. Dr. Ayşegül Aydıngün’ün çalışmaları bu eksikliği giderecek nitelikte ve kapsamda olmuştur. Prof. Aydıngün’ün Ukrayna’da yerinde, sahada yaptığı bilimsel, akademik araştırmalar, konunun sosyal, sosyolojik boyutuna ışık tutacak bulgular ortaya çıkartmıştır. Avrasya İncelemeleri Merkezi (AVİM) Prof. Aydıngün’ün araştırmalarının sonuçlarını ve bulgurlarını son gelişmelerin ışığı altında, soru-cevap şeklinde yapılan bir mülakat halinde derleyerek bir rapor yayımlamaktan kıvanç duymaktadır.

BALKANLAR'DA SOYKIRIM KAVRAMININ HUKUKİ TANIMININ VE İÇERİĞİNİN DEĞİŞTİRİLMESİ İÇİN YAPILAN YERSİZ VE YOZLAŞTIRICI GİRİŞİMLER
Author : Teoman Ertuğrul Tulun
Date : 2022
Language : Turkish
DOI : 10.31219/osf.io/j3uy4
Type : Research Paper
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Raphael Lemkin, a Polish lawyer of Jewish ancestry, coined the term of genocide in 1944. The period in which Lemkin coined the term coincides with the Second World War. He started to write his most significant work, Axis Rule in Occupied Europe, in 1942. He formulated his work in Nazi Germany's and other Axis Power's occupation policy especially in Poland and the Soviet Union. Lemkin's central insight was to deduce from these occupation regulations that the Germans intended to reorganize Europe along racial lines, which would entail mass murder and the suppression of other cultures. Lemkin modified his initial proposals on genocide formulated in the Axis Rule in Occupied Europe and advocated that the newly formed United Nations should sponsor a treaty to prevent genocide and use its machinery to enforce it. On December 11, 1946, one year after the final armistice, the UN General Assembly unanimously passed a resolution which stressed that "The punishment of the crime of genocide is a matter of international concern."In the ensuing period, The Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (Genocide Convention) was adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations on 9 December 1948. According to the Genocide Convention, genocide is a crime that can take place both in times of war and in the time of peace. The concept of genocide, which Lemkin brought to the agenda and tried to make it an international crime, was fully established on a legal basis by adopting the legally binding Genocide Convention. The Genocide Convention should not be eroded, and the term genocide, which has a strict legal definition, should not be used randomly. Recently statements were made that will erode the genocide convention, especially in the Balkans. Statements by the President of Croatia,  Zoran Milanovic, downplaying the Srebrenica Genocide   are example. Speaking to the press in the city of Komija on the Croatian island of Vis, Milanovic, answering a question on whether he considered Srebrenica a genocide, recently said the following: "I say yes, but then for some more serious crimes, we have to invent another name. I respect other people's sacrifices, but not everything is the same. If everything is genocide, we will have to find another name for what the Nazis and the German machinery did to the Jews in the Second World War. It is the Holocaust, but it is also genocide. Not every victim is the same, it is relativization.'' Considering that certain EU countries have been recently bringing up revisionist views and suggestions regarding the Balkans, we cannot ignore the possibility that Milanovic will jump on the bandwagon of producing "brilliant" ideas. In this context, it suffices to recall the Slovenian Prime Minister's plan (as the Slovenian EU presidency) to dismember Bosnia and Herzegovina, reorganize the borders of Croatia, Serbia, Albania, and Kosovo..The statements of Milanovic in this respect are also noteworthy in that they seriously question the current legal basis and framework of the crime of genocide.

These statements will inevitably have repercussions both in the Balkans and internationally. It should be noted that any misuse of the term genocide based on shallow political interests will constitute an utter disservice to the fundamental principles of maintaining international peace, security, and stability as enshrined in the UN Charter. In terms of the Balkans, as mentioned above, it is noteworthy that revisionist discourses have recently come from countries such as Slovenia and Croatia, which are both NATO and EU members. It is disappointing that these countries, instead of playing a role that strengthens security and stability in the Balkans, play a role that disrupts security and stability. Member states of these influential international and supranational organizations are naturally expected to be much more careful in ensuring and maintaining security and stability in the Balkans. If there is a danger of fire in an area, instead of throwing flammable materials into the area, it is necessary to try to prevent the fire hazard. As AVİM, we hope that rhetoric and policies to the contrary will not be accepted in both NATO and the EU.

AVİM 2021 YILLIK RAPOR | ANNUAL REPORT
Author : Hazel ÇAĞAN ELBİR
Date : 2021
Language : Turkish & English
Type : Report
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It is a pleasure to present our Annual Report for the year 2021 that provides a brief overview of the works and activities of the Center for Eurasian Studies (AVİM) during the past year. 

The COVID-19 pandemic that cast its shadow on a global scale last year, despite the introduction of vaccines and measures acknowledged to be preventive, continued in 2021 with new variants, necessitating lockdowns and restrictions. AVİM was nevertheless able to carry on its work without any breakdown with a hybrid system of working from both home and office, effectively adapting to online facilities.

As the global power balance continues to change and evolve, highlighting Turkey’s place more pronouncedly at the easternmost of Europe and westernmost of Asia, Turkey has come to the fore, enabling the Eurasian connectivity with its core location in the wider Black Sea basin at the nexus of Eurasia, as well as with its inherent connection to the Balkans and the Caucasus.

DEGENERATING DISCURSIVE ATTEMPTS IN THE BALKANS TO ALTER THE LEGAL DEFINITION AND CONTENT OF THE CONCEPT OF GENOCIDE
Author : Teoman Ertuğrul Tulun
Date : 2021
Language : English
DOI : 10.31219/osf.io/dpqs4
Type : Research Paper
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Raphael Lemkin, a Polish lawyer of Jewish ancestry, coined the term of genocide in 1944. The period in which Lemkin coined the term coincides with the Second World War. He started to write his most significant work, Axis Rule in Occupied Europe, in 1942. He formulated his work in Nazi Germany's and other Axis Power's occupation policy especially in Poland and the Soviet Union. Lemkin's central insight was to deduce from these occupation regulations that the Germans intended to reorganize Europe along racial lines, which would entail mass murder and the suppression of other cultures. Lemkin modified his initial proposals on genocide formulated in the Axis Rule in Occupied Europe and advocated that the newly formed United Nations should sponsor a treaty to prevent genocide and use its machinery to enforce it. On December 11, 1946, one year after the final armistice, the UN General Assembly unanimously passed a resolution which stressed that "The punishment of the crime of genocide is a matter of international concern."In the ensuing period, The Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (Genocide Convention) was adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations on 9 December 1948. According to the Genocide Convention, genocide is a crime that can take place both in times of war and in the time of peace. The concept of genocide, which Lemkin brought to the agenda and tried to make it an international crime, was fully established on a legal basis by adopting the legally binding Genocide Convention. The Genocide Convention should not be eroded, and the term genocide, which has a strict legal definition, should not be used randomly. Recently statements were made that will erode the genocide convention, especially in the Balkans. Statements by the President of Croatia,  Zoran Milanovic, downplaying the Srebrenica Genocide   are example. Speaking to the press in the city of Komija on the Croatian island of Vis, Milanovic, answering a question on whether he considered Srebrenica a genocide, recently said the following: "I say yes, but then for some more serious crimes, we have to invent another name. I respect other people's sacrifices, but not everything is the same. If everything is genocide, we will have to find another name for what the Nazis and the German machinery did to the Jews in the Second World War. It is the Holocaust, but it is also genocide. Not every victim is the same, it is relativization.'' Considering that certain EU countries have been recently bringing up revisionist views and suggestions regarding the Balkans, we cannot ignore the possibility that Milanovic will jump on the bandwagon of producing "brilliant" ideas. In this context, it suffices to recall the Slovenian Prime Minister's plan (as the Slovenian EU presidency) to dismember Bosnia and Herzegovina, reorganize the borders of Croatia, Serbia, Albania, and Kosovo..The statements of Milanovic in this respect are also noteworthy in that they seriously question the current legal basis and framework of the crime of genocide.
These statements will inevitably have repercussions both in the Balkans and internationally. It should be noted that any misuse of the term genocide based on shallow political interests will constitute an utter disservice to the fundamental principles of maintaining international peace, security, and stability as enshrined in the UN Charter. In terms of the Balkans, as mentioned above, it is noteworthy that revisionist discourses have recently come from countries such as Slovenia and Croatia, which are both NATO and EU members. It is disappointing that these countries, instead of playing a role that strengthens security and stability in the Balkans, play a role that disrupts security and stability. Member states of these influential international and supranational organizations are naturally expected to be much more careful in ensuring and maintaining security and stability in the Balkans. If there is a danger of fire in an area, instead of throwing flammable materials into the area, it is necessary to try to prevent the fire hazard. As AVİM, we hope that rhetoric and policies to the contrary will not be accepted in both NATO and the EU.

SAMSUN’UN YUNAN DONANMASI TARAFINDAN 1922 YILINDA BOMBALANMASINDA ABD DONANMASINA AİT KARADENİZ FİLOTİLLASININ ROLÜ
Author : Teoman Ertuğrul Tulun
Date : 2021
Language : Turkish
DOI : 10.31219/osf.io/nwkr3
Type : Research Paper
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The passage of US warships from the Turkish Straits to the Black Sea has been frequently discussed in the media and the public. Recent news regarding the additional military deployments made in Greece through the Alexandroupoli port has increased interest in this issue. According to announcement made by the US Defense Visual Information Distribution Service (DVIDS), more than 300 pieces of equipment, including 10 helicopters, were offloaded there on May 5, 2021. The Black Sea region has been brought to the top of the international agenda with the emergence of an extremely tense environment in the region. The fact that the Black Sea region was brought to the top of the international agenda with the emergence of an extremely tense environment in the region due to Russia’s annexation of Crimea and oft-repeated naval exercises by naval forces in the region remind us of the developments regarding the bombardment of some of the Turkish ports in the Black Sea by the Greek navy during the establishment  period of the Republic of Turkey following the end of the First World War. In this context, Greek warships made extensive bombardments on Ereğli on the Black Sea coast on 6 June, İnebolu on 30 June, and Trabzon on 20 July in the summer of 1921.

 As to Samsun, the bombardment took place in the summer of 1922.The point that draws attention in this historical event is that, at the time when the Greek navy bombarded Samsun, the destroyers belonging to the US navy were also present in the port of Samsun. According to the information provided in various publications regarding this bombardment, including academic ones, these US navy warships were Clamsen class destroyers of USS Sands (DD-243), USS, McFarland (DD-237), and USS Sturtevant (DD-240).

THE ROLE OF THE US NAVY BLACK SEA FLOTILLA IN THE BOMBARDMENT OF SAMSUN BY THE GREEK NAVY IN 1922
Author : Teoman Ertuğrul Tulun
Date : 2021
Language : English
DOI : https://doi.org/10.31219/osf.io/vcbg2
Type : Research Paper
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The passage of US warships from the Turkish Straits to the Black Sea has been frequently discussed in the media and the public. Recent news regarding the additional military deployments made in Greece through the Alexandroupoli port has increased interest in this issue. According to announcement made by the US Defense Visual Information Distribution Service (DVIDS), more than 300 pieces of equipment, including 10 helicopters, were offloaded there on May 5, 2021. The Black Sea region has been brought to the top of the international agenda with the emergence of an extremely tense environment in the region. The fact that the Black Sea region was brought to the top of the international agenda with the emergence of an extremely tense environment in the region due to Russia’s annexation of Crimea and oft-repeated naval exercises by naval forces in the region remind us of the developments regarding the bombardment of some of the Turkish ports in the Black Sea by the Greek navy during the establishment  period of the Republic of Turkey following the end of the First World War. In this context, Greek warships made extensive bombardments on Ereğli on the Black Sea coast on 6 June, İnebolu on 30 June, and Trabzon on 20 July in the summer of 1921.

 As to Samsun, the bombardment took place in the summer of 1922.The point that draws attention in this historical event is that, at the time when the Greek navy bombarded Samsun, the destroyers belonging to the US navy were also present in the port of Samsun. According to the information provided in various publications regarding this bombardment, including academic ones, these US navy warships were Clamsen class destroyers of USS Sands (DD-243), USS, McFarland (DD-237), and USS Sturtevant (DD-240).

AVİM 2020 YILLIK RAPOR | ANNUAL REPORT
Date : 2020
Language : Turkish & English
Type : Report
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It is a pleasure to present our Annual Report of 2020 prepared to provide a brief overview of the works and activities of the Center for Eurasian Studies (AVİM) during the past year.

The year 2020 has already gone in global annals as an extraordinary year as the COVID-19 pandemic has affected and changed the lifestyles of the peoples of the whole world. AVİM has also adapted itself rapidly to those changes and carried on its activities from a far or home without disruption to its work.

2020 witnessed the commemoration of the centennial anniversary of the founding of the Turkish Grand National Assembly, the executive body of the Turkish national uprising and War of Liberation, refreshening the resolve to continue defending national interests and sovereignty with the same spirit.

THE RELATIVITY OF SELF-DETERMINATION CONCEPTIONS REGARDING THE NAGORNO-KARABAKH CONFLICT
Author : Att. Dr. Deniz Akçay
Date : 2020
Language : English
ISBN : 978-605-69199-6-1
Type : Report
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The diverging claims of Azerbaijan and Armenia regarding the core issues of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict shape the different dimensions and the claims of the parties. Armenian side seeks the solution to the conflict in the framework of the principle of self-determination with the comfort of having ethnically cleansed the territory, whereas Azerbaijan refers to the principle of territorial integrity. As these two principles are within the basic principles of the international law, conflicting claims of Azerbaijan and Armenia lead to conceptual confusion and disagreements regarding the legal dimension of the conflict.

This report is penned by Dr. Deniz Akçay, an esteemed jurist, one of the two Turkish Government’s co-agents to the Council of Europe and the European Court of Human Rights. The report was first published in the 65th issue of Ermeni Araştırmaları journal in Turkish and in the 41st issue of Review of Armenian Studies journal in English. It evaluates to what extent the self-determination thesis is applicable to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict by analyzing the international agreements, court decisions, advisory opinions and resolutions of the United Nations. We believe that this study is enlightening regarding the essence of the conflict.

To provide the reader with a general outline of the historical roots of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, as well as the developments within the scope this conflict including the peace process, an introductory part titled “A Short History of the Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict” penned by AVİM’s Senior Analyst Dr. Turgut Kerem Tuncel is added to the report.

DAĞLIK KARABAĞ UYUŞMAZLIĞINDA SELF-DETERMİNASYON TEZLERİNİN GÖRECELİĞİ
Author : Av. Dr. Deniz Akçay
Date : 2020
Language : Turkish
ISBN : 978-605-69199-5-4
Type : Report
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Azerbaycan ve Ermenistan arasındaki Dağlık Karabağ çatışması kapsamında ortaya çıkan ve çatışmanın farklı boyutlarını ve tarafların iddialarını şekillendiren temel hususlardan birisi, çatışmanın özüne dair farklılaşan iddialardır. Ermeni tarafı çatışmayı kendi kaderini tayin hakkı (self-determinasyon) ilkesi çerçevesinde tanımlarken, Azerbaycan ülkesel bütünlük-toprak bütünlüğü ilkesine dayandırmaktadır. Bu iki ilkenin uluslararası hukuktaki temel ilkelerden olması, çatışmanın hukuki boyutu konusunda kavram karışıklıklarına ve fikir ayrılıklarına neden olabilmektedir.

Avrupa Konseyi ve bünyesinde bulunan Avrupa İnsan Hakları Mahkemesi nezdinde Bakanlar Kurulu Kararnamesi ile iki ortak hükümet ajanından biri olarak atanan, değerli hukukçu Dr. Deniz Akçay, daha önce Ermeni Araştırmaları dergisinin altmış beşinci sayısında aynı başlıkla Türkçe, Review of Armenian Studies dergisinin kırk birinci sayısında “The Relativity of Self-Determination Conceptions Regarding the Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict” başlığıyla İngilizce yayınlanan, “Dağlık Karabağ Uyuşmazlığında Self-Determinasyon Tezlerinin Göreceliği” başlıklı çalışmasında, uluslararası anlaşmaları, mahkeme kararlarını ve tavsiye görüşlerini, Birleşmiş Milletler kararlarını inceleyerek, Karabağ çatışmasında kendi kaderini tayin hakkı (self-determinasyon) tezinin ne ölçüde uygulanabilirliğini değerlendirmektedir. Bu değerlendirmenin, çatışmanın özüne dair aydınlatıcı bir çalışma olduğu kanaatindeyiz.

Karabağ ihtilafının tarihsel köklerinin ve barış süreci de dâhil olmak üzere bu ihtilaf kapsamdaki gelişmelerin genel hatlarıyla okuyucuya sunulması maksadıyla, elinizdeki rapora Merkezimizin kıdemli uzman analisti Dr. Turgut Kerem Tuncel’in kaleme aldığı “Dağlık Karabağ Sorununun Kısa Tarihçesi” başlıklı bir giriş bölümü de dâhil edilmiştir.

THE MONTREUX CONVENTION: A REGIONAL AND GLOBAL SAFETY VALVE
Author : Teoman Ertuğrul Tulun
Date : March 2020
Language : English
ISBN : 978-605-69199-1-6
DOI : https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.11955780.v1
Type : Report
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This report is prepared to recall the significance of  The Montreux Convention Regarding the Regime of the Straits which entrusted Turkey with the full control of the Turkish Straits and restored Turkey’s absolute sovereignty over one of the most strategic waterways in the world that converge Europe and Asia.

The report, starts with explaining the historical background of the regime of the Turkish Straits until the Montreux Convention and incorporates detailed analysis of the core articles of the Convention, dwells on the current developments in today’s crisis-ridden world that  bring the Montreux Convention to renewed prominence. The report, furthermore, suggests that Montreux Convention continues to be a functional regional and global safety valve for today's world.

AVİM 2019 YILLIK RAPOR | ANNUAL REPORT
Date : 2019
Language : Turkish & English
Type : Report
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It is a pleasure to present our Annual Report of 2019 prepared to provide a brief overview of the major works and activities of the Center for Eurasian Studies (AVİM) during the past year.

Our Center has continued its work in the year 2019 within the framework of Eurasia, a concept that is gaining concrete content and receiving understanding as well as recognition, with focal points on our part on the Balkans and Southern Caucasus, the wider Black Sea region, the Caspian basin and Central Asian republics.

The year 2019, in which we celebrated the centennial of thebeginningoftheNationalStruggle/WarofLiberation of Turkey was also inspiring to recollect the fundamental values of the Republic, providing a new drive for defying with determination the groundless and unjust propaganda conducted against Turkey.

THE CENTENNIAL OF THE INDEPENDENCE OF THE THREE SOUTH CAUCASUS STATES: HISTORICAL BACKGROUND, CONTEMPORARY DEVELOPMENTS AND PROSPECTS OF PEACE AND PROSPERITY
Date : 2019
Language : English
Type : Report
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The conference book titled “The Centennial of the Independence of the Three South Caucasus States: Historical Background, Contemporary Developments And Prospects of Peace And Prosperity” is based on the proceedings of the international conference organized by Center for Eurasian Studies (AVİM) on 9 November 2018 with the same title.

The order of the articles  in this book are  the same as presentations order in the conference.  The book opens up with the forewords of Ambassador(R) Alev Kılıç (AVİM Director) and  introduction penned by one of the editors, Nigar Shiralizade. These are followed by nine articles written by researchers and academicians from various countries who attended the conference. However, the book does not include the papers of Mileno Sterio and Yulia Nikitina who did not submit their papers out of personal considerations. 

We hope that you enjoy reading this book.
 

“EURASIA FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF TURKEY AND MONGOLIA”
Date : 2019
Language : English
Type : Conference Book
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It is our pleasure to inform that AVİM (Center for Eurasian Studies) has published the proceedings of the conference titled “Eurasia from the Perspective of Turkey and Mongolia,” which took place on 5 December 2018.

At the conference, which is jointly organized by the Embassy of Mongolia in Turkey and AVİM, Turkish and Mongolian panelists addressed historical, sociological and political aspects of Turkish-Mongolian relations and their possible implications in Asian politics.

There are three panelists in the panel. In his presentation, Prof. Dr. Hüseyin Bağcı focused on Turkish foreign policy regarding Mongolia. The Director of National Institute for Security Studies Mashbat Otgonbayar framed the concepts of Mongolian Foreign Policy, and the last panelist Asst. Prof. Bahadır Pehlivantürk addressed Mongolia’s third neighborhood policy and its implementation of especially Asia- Pacific region. The proceedings are based on those presentations.

AVİM hopes that “Eurasia from the Perspective of Turkey and Mongolia” will be a significant contribution for the scholarly community and policy makers for acquiring expert views from the Eurasian region.

2018 YILLIK RAPOR | ANNUAL REPORT
Date : 2018
Language : Turkish & English
Type : Report
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It is a pleasure to present our Annual Report of 2018 prepared to provide a brief overview of the major events and activities of AVİM during the past year.  

We started the year with the sad news of the passing away of Ambassador Ömer Engin Lütem, the founder and Honorary President of our Center. May he rest in peace.  

The Center for Eurasian Studies has continued its work within our context of Eurasia, a concept that is taking roots and receiving understanding as well as recognition, with focal points on the Balkans and the Caucauses, the wider Black Sea region, the Caspian basin and Central Asian republics.  The centennial of the proclamation of the first independent republics of the three South Caucauses states in 1918, with particular emphasis on the liberation of Baku, have been commemorated and celebrated with ceremonies and various academic events.

The developments in Georgia and Armenia were followed closely. A popular protest movement leading to a “velvet revolution” in Armenia has brought down a corrupt and bigoted administration in power for the past twenty years and raised hopes to break away with the past and to start a new chapter.

SECURITY, STABILITY AND COOPERATION IN THE WIDER BLACK SEA REGION
Date : 2018
Language : English
Type : Conference Book
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The conference book titled “Security, Stability and Cooperation in the Wider Black Sea Region” is based on the proceedings of the international conference jointly organized by Center for Eurasian Studies (AVİM) and Konrad Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS) on 4 December 2017 with the same title.

“Security, Stability and Cooperation in the Wider Black Sea Region,” which was edited by AVİM Senior Analyst Dr. Turgut Kerem Tuncel, opens up with the forewords of Teimuraz Antelava (BSEC Legal Advisor), Sven-Joachim Irmer (Head of the KAS office Turkey), and Ambassador (R) Alev Kılıç (AVİM Director). These are followed by the introduction penned by Dr. Turgut Kerem Tuncel and twelve articles written by researchers and academics from the Wider Black Sea region countries who participated in the conference on 4 December 2017.

We hope that “Security, Stability and Cooperation in the Wider Black Sea Region” will be a significant contribution for the scholarly community and the policy makers for acquiring expert views from the Wider Black Sea region.

25 YEARS OF TURKEY-UKRAINE DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS: REGIONAL DEVELOPMENTS AND PROSPECTS FOR ENHANCED COOPERATION
Date : 2018
Language : English
Type : Conference Book
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A major transformation is taking place in the balances of the world. The global center of gravity has been gradually shifting from the Euro-Atlantic to the Asia-Pacific. This change also manifests itself in the position of Turkey; whereas during the cold-war era Turkey was defined as “the easternmost post of the West,” now, as a result of the changes in the international balance, Turkey is gradually becoming also the westernmost part of the East, moving to the center of Eurasia.

We observe that the Turkish Foreign Policy is making an effort to situate itself to this major transformation through a series of adjustments and adaptations. Turkey recognizes that not only herself moves to the center, but the Wider Black Sea region is becoming the core of the evolving Eurasia. This does not mean that Turkey is looking for an alternative that would indicate a break away from the West. Our understanding of Eurasian development is becoming the nexus to Asia and Europe, strongly attached to the West, yet also opening up to the East.

Within this framework of global change, Turkish-Ukrainian relations gain importance for Turkey’s outlook, since Ukraine is a major player in the Wider Black Sea region.

With this perspective, on 12 December 2017, AVİM, the Eurasian Studies Master Program of the Middle East Technical University (METU), and the Embassy of Ukraine in Turkey jointly organized a panel titled “25 Years of Turkey-Ukraine Diplomatic Relations: Regional Developments and Prospects for Enhanced Cooperation.”

AVİM 2017 Annual Report
Date : 2017
Language : English
Type : Report
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FORWARD

Having left behind a full and intense year of work in AVİM’s sphere of interest, we are pleased to present the Yearly Report in which we provide a general hindsight regarding the year 2017’s developments and activities.

Our focus on Eurasia, particularly on Caucasia and the Balkan geography, the wider Black Sea Region, the Caspian basin and Central Asia, which form the major areas of interest of our center, have continued with expanded and deepening activities.

Our close ties with Georgia and Azerbaijan in the South Caucasus have been reflected in our work. The Armenian controversy stemming from the distortion of historical facts and exploited for political calculations is naturally included within our priorities as it creates obstacles to the desired good neighborly relations, to peace, stability and cooperation in the Caucasus. The loss of credibility of the Armenian allegations and claims in the judicial arena is no doubt a source of hope for the future. Nevertheless, the continued search to formulate a new agenda and discourse voiced by the Armenian authorities at the highest level is an indication that the struggle will continue.

We have also followed the developments in the Balkan geography closely. We have persistently cautioned against the attempts to cast Turkey, an essential component of the Balkans and inseparable part of it, outside the Balkans, with particular concern to the coining of an artificial separation and division in the Balkans.

In addition to the regular publications of our center, the daily bulletin in two languages, Ermeni Araştırmaları [Eng. Armenian Studies] journal published three times a year, the Review of Armenian Studies journal published twice a year, the annual Uluslararası Suçlar ve Tarih [Eng. International Crimes and History] journal, this autumn the first issue of our biannual Avrasya Dünyası [Eng. Eurasian World] journal, has appeared.

In a period when global balances are in transition, Turkey has qualified from being the West’s eastern most post to also being the East’s western most, moving to the center of the Eurasian geography. With this in mind, AVİM acknowledges the need to develop a new geopolitical and geo-economical perspective with regard to the relations of Turkey as a country at the crossroads of Europe and Asia.

This assessment, on one hand, necessitates the need to progressively sustain traditional relations with the West to the greatest extent possible, on the other it necessitates the need to closely observe and support the developments occurring in Asia and extending to the West. These developments are of a nature to provide opportunities for closer relations with the Central Asian Republics with which Turkey enjoys traditional bonds of historical ties, common language, religion and culture.

AVİM, a nonprofit, neutral and independent think tank, assumes responsibility and has the determination to continue its work with devotion. We extend our gratitude to all individuals and institutions that support our work and publications. I wish to express my gratitude particularly to AVİM’s staff, whose devotion and untiring efforts we owe the rising level and quality of our work.

Alev KILIÇ

AVİM 2017 Yıllık Rapor
Date : 2017
Language : Turkish
Type : Report
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ÖNSÖZ

AVİM çalışmaları bakımından dolu ve yoğun geçen bir yılı geride bıraktık. 2017 yılının gelişmelerine ve etkinliklerine genel bir bakış sağlamak üzere hazırladığımız Yıllık Raporu sunmaktan mutluluk duyuyoruz.

Merkezimizin ilgi alanını oluşturan Avrasya, özellikle Kafkasya ve Balkan coğrafyası, Genişletilmiş Karadeniz Bölgesi, Hazar havzası ve Orta Asya’ya odaklanan etkinliklerimiz artarak ve derinleşerek devam etmiştir.

Güney Kafkaslarda Gürcistan ve Azerbaycan’a yakın ilgimiz çalışmalarımıza yansımıştır. Türk-Ermeni ilişkilerinde tarihi gerçeklerin çarpıtılmasından, siyasi hesaplarla tartışma ve uzlaşmazlık konusu yapılmasından kaynaklanan, Kafkaslarda barış, istikrar, işbirliği ve istenen iyi komşuluk ilişkilerine de engel yaratması itibarıyla doğal olarak özel ilgi alanımızı oluşturan Ermenistan sorunsalı da öncelik- lerimiz arasında yer almıştır. Ermeni iddia ve taleplerinin hukuki alanda ciddi zemin kaybetmesi kuşkusuz gelecek için umut vericidir, ancak en üst düzey Ermeni yetkililerin söylemlerine de yansıyan, yeni bir gündem saptanması arayışları, bu mücadelenin devam edeceğine işaret etmektedir.

Balkan coğrafyasındaki gelişmeler de yakından izlenmiş ve Balkanların asli unsurlarından birisi ve ayrılmaz parçası olan Türkiye’nin, Balkanlarda yerleştirilmeye çalışılan yapay bir bölünme ile bölge dışına itilmeye çalışılmasına dikkat çekilmesi sürdürül- müştür.

Merkezimizin mutat çalışmaları ve yayınları arasında bulunan, günlük iki dilde yayınlanan bülten, yılda üç kez yayınlanan Ermeni Araştırmaları dergisi,  yılda iki kez yayınlanan Review of Armenian Studies dergisi, yıllık Uluslararası Suçlar ve Tarih dergisinin yanı sıra bu yıl, yılda iki kez yayınlanacak olan Avrasya Dünyası dergimiz de yayın hayatına başlamıştır.

Bu şekilde AVİM, küresel dengelerin değişmekte olduğu bir dönemde, Türkiye’nin sadece Batı’nın en doğusu olmak konumundan, aynı zamanda Doğu’nun da en batısı olmak konumuna geldiği, oluşan bir Avrasya coğrafyasında artık merkezi bir konumda yer almakta olduğu anlayışından hareketle, Avrupa ile Asya’yı bağlayan bir ülke olan Türkiye’nin ilişkilerine yeni jeopolitik ve jeo-ekonomik bakış açısı geliştirmek gereğini ifade etmek ihtiyacını duymaktadır.

Bu anlayış bir yandan, Batı ile geleneksel ilişkileri mümkünse geliştirerek sürdürmeyi, diğer yandan başta ortak dil, din, kültür birlikteliğinden kaynaklanan tarihi bağlara sahip olduğu Orta Asya  Cumhuriyetleri ile yakın ilişkilere olanak sağlayacak, Asya’dan batıya yönelen gelişmeleri yakından izlemeyi ve desteklemeyi gerekli kılmaktadır.

Kar amacı gütmeyen, tarafsız ve bağımsız bir düşünce kuruluşu olan AVİM bugüne değin olduğu gibi, çalışmalarını özveriyle sürdürme sorumluluğuna ve kararlılığına sahiptir. Buradan yeniden çalışmalarımıza ve yayınlarımıza ilgi gösteren ve bizi destekleyen tüm kişi ve kuruluşlara şükranlarımızı, her geçen yıl daha da yükselttiğimiz düzeyi özverili gayret ve çalışmalarına borçlu olduğumuz tüm AVİM çalışanlarına da en derin teşekkürlerimi ifade ederim.

Alev KILIÇ

 

THE PONTUS NARRATIVE AND HATE SPEECH
Author : Teoman Ertuğrul TULUN
Date : May 2017
Language : English
ISBN : 978-605-82518-1-6
Type : Report
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This report aims to examine the genocide story invented during the late 1980’s and 90’s called the “Pontic Greek Genocide” by way of referring both to the Greek academic sources and Pontic Greek allegations. This report also examines this invented story by referring to the Turkish evaluation of the “Pontus question” before, during, and after the World War I with a special emphasis on the period corresponding to the establishment of the Republic of Turkey. In this general framework, this report reviews the ethnic background of the Pontic Greeks, the fragmentation of the Byzantine Empire and its successor states, the conquest of the Greek Trebizond Empire by the Ottoman Empire, Pontus Greek narratives and claims concerning the World War I developments, Pontic Greek activities and efforts to establish a Pontian state during World War I, and the invented story of genocide. It also elaborates the elements of the hate speech developed against Turks on the basis of the fabricated “Pontic Greek Genocide”.

OSMANLI DEVLETİ'NDEKİ HUKUKİ DÜZENLEMELER ÇERÇEVESİNDE ERMENİLER VE GERİDE BIRAKTIKLARI MALLAR (EMVÂL-İ METRUKE)
Author : Gül AKYILMAZ
Date : July 2017
Language : Turkish
ISBN : 978-605-82518-5-4
Type : Report
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Ermeni iddia ve taleplerinin gerisinde yatan, 1915 yılında “sevk ve iskan” edilen Ermeni nüfusun geride bıraktığı Emvâl-i Metruke diye bilinen mallar konusu bazı çevrelerin iştahını kabartan bir ilgi odağı olma niteliğini kazanmıştır. Bu toplantılarda, Emvâl-i Metruke konusunda gündeme getirildiği görülen hukuk dışı söylem ve taleplerin açıklığa kavuşturulabilmesi bakımından daha ayrıntılı ve analitik bir çalışmaya ihtiyaç duyulduğu görülmüştür. Hukuk Tarihçisi Prof. Dr. Sayın Gül Akyılmaz’ın kaleme aldığı bu rapor, literatürdeki boşluğu doldurmak yönünde atılmış bir adımdır. Rapor, Emvâl-i Metruke konusunu hukuk bilimi çerçevesinde ayrıntılı bir şekilde okuyucuya sunmaktadır.

TÜRKİYE CUMHURİYETİ / OSMANLI DEVLETİ VE ARDILLIK/DEVAMLILIK SORUNSALININ GÖRELİLEŞMESİ
Author : Dr. Deniz AKÇAY
Date : May 2017
Language : Turkish
ISBN : 978-605-82518-0-9
Type : Report
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Dr. Deniz Akçay tarafından hazırlanan Türkiye Cumhuriyeti/Osmanlı Devleti Ve Ardıllık/Devamlılık Sorunsalının Görelileşmesi* başlıklı çalışma AVİM’in Ermeni sorununun hukuki yönü ile ilgili çalıştay çalışmalarında ele alınan bir konuda özenle hazırlanan ve derinliğe sahip bir rapordur. Türkiye Cumhuriyeti’nin Osmanlı Devleti’nin devamı olup olmadığına dair tezler günümüzde Ermeni sorunu ile bağlantılı olarak tartışma konusudur. Dr. Akçay bu çalışmasında Türkiye Cumhuriyeti’nin Osmanlı Devleti’nin devamı olduğuna dair tezlerin dayandığı gerekçelerin ayrıntılı bir incelemesini sunmaktadır. Dr. Akçay, Lozan Antlaşması’nın önemli bazı maddelerinin yanlış yorumlanmış olduğunu ve bazı maddelerinin de dikkate alınmadığını, Lozan Konferansı’nda yapılan beyanların eksik ve taraflı biçimde değerlendirildiği Borel Hakem Kararının, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti’nin Osmanlı Devleti’nin devamı olduğu tezini destekleyebilecek geçerli ve yeterli bir temel  oluşturmaktan uzak olduğunu göstermektedir. 

BELGERİN IŞIĞINDA PONTUS MESELESİ
Author : Prof. Dr. Mesut ÇAPA
Date : June 2017
Language : Turkish
ISBN : 978-605-82518-4-7
Type : Report
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Tarihimizde, XIX. Yüzyıldan itibaren başlayan süreçte bazı “mesele”lerin her dönemde varlığını sürdürdüğü görülmektedir. Batılı Büyük devletlerin,Şark Meselesi’yle (Doğu Sorunu) başlattığı ve müdahil oldukları bu süreçte her geçen gün yeni sorunlar ortaya çıkmıştır. Bu sorunların hemen hepsinintemelinde, Müslüman olmayan azınlıklar ve bunları himaye etmeye çalışan Batılı devletlerle Rusya bulunmaktadır. Sırp ve Yunan isyanıyla başlayan bu müdahale hareketleri 1856 tarihli Islahat Fermanı’ndan sonra daha meşru hale gelmiştir. Tanzimat, Birinci ve İkinci Meşrutiyet, Mütareke ve Milli Mücadele dönemlerinde hep gündemde olan Ermeni ve Pontus Meseleleri benzer yöntemlerle günümüze kadar getirilmiştir. Türk milletinin tarih sahnesinden silinmeye çalışıldığı savaş yıllarının ürünü olan bu meselelerin, çarpıtılıp tek taraflı olarak yeniden gündeme getirilmesinin barışa katkı sağlamayacağı ortadadır. Bu tartışmaların, özellikle komşuluk ilişkilerini zedeleyeceği ve devletlerarasındaki güven duygusunu sarsacağı muhakkaktır. Bu durumda, tarihçilerin yapabileceği en önemli iş, tarihsel gerçeklerin belgelerle ortaya konulmasıdır. Burada, Pontus Meselesi şimdiye kadar yazdıklarımdan hareketle yeni arşiv belgelerinin ışığında giriş metni ve üç kısa bölüm içerisinde özetlenmektedir. Giriş’te Yunanistan’ın kuruluşuyla Pontus Meselesi’nin ortaya çıkışı ve “Pontus” kavramı açıklanmaya çalışılmıştır. Bölümlerde, Pontus Meselesi Milli Mücadele öncesi, Milli Mücadelenin başları, Türkiye Büyük Millet Meclisi Hükümeti dönemi ana başlıkları altında ele alınmaktadır. Metnin sonuna, bölümlerdeki bilgileri destekleyici belgeler konulmuştur. Pontus Meselesi hakkında küçük bir başvuru kaynağı olarak hazırladığım bu çalışmanın konunun anlaşılmasında yararlı olacağını ümit etmekteyim. Tarihte yaşanan sorunların, eğer hatırlanacaksa, ortak acıların anlaşılmasına ve barışa katkı sağlamasına vesile olması dileğiyle, kitabın basılmasında emeği geçenlere teşekkürlerimi sunarım.

81. YILINDA MONTRÖ SÖZLEŞMESİ’NİN KARŞILAŞTIĞI GÜVENLİK SORUNLARI VE SÖZLEŞMENİN FESHİ VE TADİLİ İÇİN GİRİŞİMLER VUKUUNDA KARŞILAŞILACAK SENARYOLARIN ANALİZİ
Author : Dr. Şükrü M. ELEKDAĞ
Date : April 2017
Language : Turkish
Type : Report
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Montrö Sözleşmesi’nin 81. yılında, Karadeniz havzasında çarpıcı jeopolitik değişikliklerin vuku bulduğunu, bölgenin stratejik öneminin arttığını ve bir soğuk savaş havasının bölgeye hâkim olmaya başladığını görüyoruz. Rusya’nın, Karadeniz havzasında hegemonya kurma çabası ve bu bağlamda Kırım’ı ilhakı ve Ukrayna’nın Donbass bölgesindeki Rus kökenli ayrılıkçı isyancıları desteklemesi nedeniyle Batı dünyasıyla Rusya arasında artan tansiyon ortamında, 8-9 Temmuz 2016 tarihlerinde Varşova’da yapılan NATO zirvesinde, Rusya’nın yayılmacı eğilimlerini durdurmak amacıyla doğu ve kuzey Avrupa’nın savunulması kapsamında bir dizi askeri önlem alınması kararlaştırılmıştı. Bu meyanda NATO’nun Karadeniz’deki askeri varlığının arttırılmasını öngören kararlar da alınmış ve bu bağlamdaki önlemler arasında “NATO Daimî Deniz Gücü” adı altında sürekli bir NATO varlığının oluşturulması da gündeme gelmişti. Varşova zirvesinde alınan bu kararlar ile, Rusya’nın attığı mukabil adımların Karadeniz havzasındaki krizi tırmandırıcı bir karakter taşıdığı göze çarpıyor. Batı medyasında, bu durumun, Türk Boğazlarının hukuki yapılanmasını zorladığı yolunda bir algı oluşmuştur. 1936’da Montrö’de Boğazlar Sözleşmesi’nin imzalanmasıyla “kapanmış olan sorunların” tekrar su yüzüne çıkmaya başladığından söz ediliyor. Bu gelişmeler ışığında makalemizi iki bölümden oluşacak şekilde düzenledik. Birinci bölümde, Montrö Sözleşmesinin karşılaştığı güncel güvenlik sorunlarını ele alınacak; ikinci bölümde ise, Sözleşme’nin fesih ve tadile ilişkin 28. ve 29. Maddelerinin uygulanması halinde, Türkiye’nin karşılaşabileceği senaryoların analizi yapılacaktır.

TARİHSEL ARKA PLANIYLA PONTUS MESELESİ
Author : Yüksel KÜÇÜKER - Hikmet ÖKSÜZ
Date : April 2017
Language : Turkish
ISBN : 978-605-82518-3-0
Type : Report
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Zaman içinde bağımsız bir devlet kurma amacının güdüldüğü noktadan, siyasal ve kültürel bir boyuta evrilen Pontus Meselesi, genellikle Millî Mücadele sürecindeki gelişmeler yönüyle öne çıkarılmaktadır. Meseleyi yalnızca bu boyutuyla ele almak, onu sıradan bir isyan vakası olarak değerlendirmek olacaktır. Hâlbuki konunun tarihsel zeminine inildiğinde, meselenin planlı bir düşünsel temel üzerine bina edildiği ve düşünüldüğünden daha eskilere uzanan bir geçmişe sahip olduğu ortaya çıkmaktadır. Hüküm sürdüğü uzun dönemde, hâkimiyeti altında yaşayan toplumları başarıyla idare etmiş olan Osmanlı Devleti’nde 19. yüzyıldan itibaren yaşanan kopuşları sorgulamak, Pontus Meselesi’nin temel hedefi olan bağımsız bir devlete sahip olma düşüncesinin anlaşılmasını da kolaylaştıracaktır. Tarihsel bir yaklaşım ve bir tarihçi sorumluluğu ile hazırlanan bu çalışma bu bağlamda konu hakkındaki literatüre mütevazı bir katkı sağlama amacıyla kaleme alınmıştır.   

AVİM 2016 ANNUAL Report
Date : 2016
Language : English
Type : Report
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AVİM 2016 Yıllık Rapor
Date : 2016
Language : Turkish
Type : Report
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MONGOLIA ON THE EVE OF THE 11TH ASIA-EUROPE MEETING (ASEM) & TURKISH-MONGOLIAN RELATIONS
Date : January 2016
Language : English
Type : Conference Book
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As the name suggests, the Center for Eurasian Studies (AVİM) is a think-tank that focuses on the newly emerging concept of Eurasia, a region which stretches from the Atlantic to the Pacific. It is significant to underline that our understanding of ‘Eurasia’ is not synonymous with the one espoused by the President of the Russian Federation. As you may well know, from Russia’s point of view, its “Eurasian Union” encompasses the Post-Soviet Republics; Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Belarus as well as Ukraine. In this sense, our understanding of Eurasia diverges from that of Russia. 

11. ASYA - AVRUPA ZİRVESİ ÖNCESİ MOĞOLİSTAN’DAKİ GÜNCEL DURUM, MOĞOLİSTAN’IN BÖLGESEL POTANSİYELİ VE TÜRK-MOĞOL İLİŞKİLERİ
Date : January 2016
Language : Turkish
Type : Conference Book
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Avrasya İncelemeleri Merkezi (AVİM), adından da anlaşılacağı gibi, Avrasya kavramını irdeleyen bir düşünce kuruluşudur. Günümüzde gelişmekte olan bir olguyu, Atlantik’ten Pasifik’e Avrasya bütünlüğünü gündeme getirmekteyiz. Aynı söylem kullanıldığı cihetle, bir kavram karışıklığına neden olmamak bakımından, “Avrasya” Rusya Federasyonu Devlet Başkanı Putin’in öncülüğünü yaptığı “Avrasya Birliği” anlamına gelmemektedir. Bildiğiniz gibi, Rusya’nın dış politikasını oluşturmaya çalıştığı “Avrasya Birliği” eski Sovyetler Birliği coğrafyasındaki devletleri yeni bir oluşum altında toplamak kurgusunu çağrıştırmaktadır. Bu anlamıyla Avrasya Birliği Tacikistan’dan, Kırgızistan’a Kazakistan’dan Belarus’a, hatta Ukrayna’ya kadar uzanan bir kavramdır. AVİM’in gündeme taşıdığı ‘Avrasya’ kavramı bundan farklıdır. AVİM günümüz jeopolitiğinin değişmekte olduğunu, Çin Halk Cumhuriyeti’nin Asya’nın yükselen bir gücü olduğunu vurgulamaktadır. Günümüzde Çin Halk Cumhuriyeti ekonomik alanda, alış gücüne göre, gayri safi milli hasılası dünyada birinci, nominal olarak da ikinci ekonomi konumuna yükselmiştir. 

PROJECTIONS FOR THE FUTURE OF TURKISH-ARMENIAN RELATIONS: PROCEEDINGS OF THE MEETING ORGANIZED BY AVİM ON 16 DECEMBER 2015
Date : December 2015
Language : English
Type : Conference Book
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On 16 December 2015, AVİM (Center for Eurasian Studies) in collaboration with Konrad Adenauer Stiftung, organized a symposium titled “Projections for the Future of the Turkish-Armenian Relations”.

Most, if not all of the meetings on this critical subject reflect only a one-sided Turkish or Armenian interpretations of the Turkish-Armenian controversy with select audiences and participants. These meetings lack challenging exchange of ideas, since they are in essence monologues of like-minded people instead of dialogues involving people of differing opinions. As a consequence, such meetings fail to contribute to mutual understanding of a common historical past and to serve reconciliation of differences...

AVİM 2015 YILLIK RAPOR
Date : February 2016
Language : Turkish
Type : Report
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AVİM 2015 Yıllık Raporu çıktı.

AVİM 2015 ANNUAL REPORT
Date : February 2016
Language : English
Type : Report
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AVİM 2015 Annual Report is released.

“CYPRUS V. TURKEY” KARARI: AVRUPA İNSAN HAKLARI MAHKEMESİ’NİN ULUSLARARASI HUKUK VE ULUSLARARASI UYUŞMAZLIK SINAVI
Author : Dr. Deniz AKÇAY
Date : February 2016
Language : Turkish
Type : Report
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Avrupa İnsan Hakları Mahkemesi’nin (AİHM) 12 Mayıs 2014 tarihli “Cyprus v. Turkey” kararı, Güney Kıbrıs Rum Yönetimi’nin (GKRY) Temmuz 1974’deki Kıbrıs Barış Harekatı’ndan başlayarak Avrupa İnsan Hakları Sözleşmesi (AİHS) denetim mekanizması çerçevesinde Türkiye aleyhine yönelttiği devlet (requête interétatique/interstate application) başvurularının dördüncü ve sonuncusunun esasına (merits/fond) ilişkin 10 Mayıs 2001 tarihli kararının tazminat sürecini sonuçlandırmıştır.

SECURITY AND STABILITY CONCERNS IN THE SOUTH CAUCASUS
Date : June 2015
Language : English
Type : Conference Book
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On 12 June 2015 AVİM organized a conference titled Security and Stability Concerns in South Caucasus under the sponsorship of NATO’s Public Diplomacy Division. The Conference was composed of two panels for the discussions of the security perceptions and foreign policies of the countries in the South Caucasus within the context of global geopolitics and in reference to the impact of the crisis in Ukraine on the region. AVİM collected the papers delivered in this conference, which represent both concordant and adverse views of prominent scholars and experts on the South Caucasus that would help researchers and policy-makers have a clearer and analytical picture of the region within the wider context of Eurasia, in a conference book with the same title. 

20. YÜZYIL BAŞINDA SÖMÜRGELEŞTİRİLMİŞ AFRİKA’DA TOPLU KATLİAM POLİTİKALARI: NAMİBYA’DAKİ SOYKIRIM VE ÇIKARILAN DERSLER
Date : May 2015
Language : Turkish
Type : Conference Book
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Halen Namibya Kamu Yönetimi Enstitüsü’nün direktörü olan  Joseph B. Diescho, Mayıs 2015’te Ankara ve İstanbul’daki çeşitli kuruluşlarla görüşmeler yapmak üzere Türkiye’de bulunduğu süre zarfında, 12 Mayıs 2015 tarihinde Ortadoğu Teknik Üniversitesi Uluslararası İlişkiler Bölümü’nde ve 13 Mayıs 2015’te AVİM’de konferanslar vermitir. Bu toplantılarda Prof. Diescho, Avrupa sömürgeciliğinin Afrika üzerindeki etkileri ve halen süren insani ve ekonomik sonuçları hakkındaki düşüncelerini paylaşmıştır. Bunun yanında, Almanların yirminci yüzyıl başlarında Namibya’daki Herero ve Nama halklarına karşı gerçekleştirdiği ve bazı akademisyenlerin soykırım olarak nitelendirdiği katliamlar hakkında görüşlerini ifade ederken, hukuken tanımlanmış olan soykırımın özgül unsurları hakkında da dinleyicilere bilgi vermiştir. 

POLICY OF MASS KILLINGS IN THE EARLY 20TH CENTURY IN COLONIAL AFRICA: THE CASE OF GENOCIDE IN NAMIBIA AND THE LESSONS LEARNED
Date : May 2015
Language : English
Type : Conference Book
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In May 2015, Professor Joseph B. Diescho, currently the Executive Director of the Namibia Institute of Public Administration and Management visited Turkey to meet with different institutions in Ankara and Istanbul. In this timeframe, Prof. Diescho delivered lectures at the Department of International Relations in Middle East Technical University on 12 May 2015, and at AVİM on 13 May 2015. In these lectures, Prof. Diescho conveyed his opinions on the humanitarian and economic consequences of the European colonization of Africa, which is still relevant up to this day. Prof. Diescho also expressed his views on the mass killings, which some scholars argue amounted to genocide, perpetrated by Germany against the Herero and Nama peoples in Namibia in the early 20th century. Within this framework, Prof. Diescho also reflected on the legal specifications of genocide. 

PROSPECTS FOR TURKISH-ARMENIAN RELATIONS
Date : April 2015
Language : English
Type : Conference Book
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On 30 April 2015, AVİM organized a symposium titled Prospects for TurkishArmenian Relations. Ten scholars from Turkey, Azerbaijan, Israel and the USA addressed an audience composed of the corps diplomatique, representatives of the civil society and the research community. Presentations at the symposium, questions and comments of the audience, and, most importantly the symposium itself were a reflection of the new perspectives that are taking root in Turkey and the world as regards to the Turkish-Armenian controversy. AVİM collected the speeches in the conference book titled Prospects for TurkishArmenian Relations (Türk-Ermeni İlişkileri için Olasılıklar) to contribute to the literature and the ongoing debates, and, ultimately, to the reconciliation between the Turks and the Armenians.

TÜRK KONSEYİ VE BÖLGEDEKİ GELİŞMELER IŞIĞINDA AVRASYA’DA İŞBİRLİĞİ
Date : February 2015
Language : Turkish
Type : Conference Book
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Türk Dili Konuşan Ülkeler İşbirliği Konseyi (Türk Konseyi / Keneşi), 2009 yılında Nahcivan’da gerçekleştirilen Türkçe Konuşan Devletler Devlet Başkanları Zirvesi’nde imzalanan Nahcivan Anlaşması ile Türk Dili konuşan devletler arasında kapsamlı işbirliğini teşvik etmek amacı ile kurulmuştur. Konsey’in kurucu ve mevcut üyeleri Azerbaycan, Kazakistan, Kırgızistan ve Türkiye’dir. Bu konferans kitabı, 24 Şubat 2015 tarihinde Ankara'da gerçekleştirilen Türk Konseyi toplantısında yapılan konuşmaların bir derlemesidir.

 

TURKIC COUNCIL AND COOPERATION IN EURASIA IN THE LIGHT OF DEVELOPMENTS ACROSS THE REGION
Date : February 2015
Language : English
Type : Conference Book
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The Cooperation Council of the Turkic Speaking States (Turkic Council) was established by the Nakhchivan Agreement signed at the Turkic Summit of Heads of States held in Nakchivan in 2009 with the overarching aim to promote comprehensive cooperation among Turkic Speaking States. This conference book  is composed of the speeches delivered at the Turkic Council meeting in Ankara on 24 February 2015.

28 OCAK AİHM PERİNÇEK - İSVİÇRE DURUŞMASININ IŞIĞINDA TÜRK-ERMENİ SORUNU
Date : February 2015
Language : Turkish
Type : Conference Book
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The Perinçek v. Switzerland Case, to which Turkey, Armenia and France also involved as third parties, was finalized on 15 October 2015 with the decision of Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights that ruled in favor of Perinçek. The Grand Chamber judged that speaking rejecting the characterization of the 1915 events as genocide does not constitute hate crime or racial discrimination. Consequently, the ECtHR Grand Chamber ruled that Perinçek’s freedom of expression cannot be restricted under these circumstances. As such, the judgement of the ECtHR Grand Chamber has significant implications for TurkishArmenian contorversy which have been shaped by genocide allegations. Moreover, an in-depth analysis of the stages of the case at hand plays an essential role for the understanding of the disagreement between Turkey and Armenia and the form it has taken today. On 3 February 2015, AVİM organized a meeting to asses the hearing which took place on 28 January 2015. The speakers at the meeting included Prof. Dr. Sadi Çaycı (Vice Dean of the Faculty of Law at Başkent University), Ambassador (R)Alev Kılıç (President of AVİM) and the researcher Şükrü Serve Aya.

TAYVAN – ÇİN HALK CUMHURİYETİ İLİŞKİLERİNDE SOSYOLOJİK DÖNÜŞÜM
Date : December 2014
Language : Turkish
Type : Conference Book
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Tayvan Ulusal Chengchi Üniversitesi’nde Rektör Yardımcısı Profesör Jenn Hwan Wang kısa süreli bir araştırma projesi kapsamında Aralık 2014’de Ankara’da bulunmuş ve bu süre zarfında AVİM’de misafir araştırmacı olmuştur. Prof. Wang, Türkiye’de bulunduğu dönemde çeşitli üniversite ve kurumlarda konferanslar vermiştir. Prof. Wang’ın bu konferanslarda değindiği konular Tayvan-Çin Halk Cumhuriyeti İlişkilerinde Sosyolojik Dönüşüm/The Sociological Turn of Taiwan China Relations başlığıyla AVİM tarafından bir rapor olarak yayınlanmıştır. Tayvan-Çin Halk Cumhuriyeti İlişkilerinde Sosyolojik Dönüşüm / The Sociological Turn of Taiwan-China Relations başlıklı rapor, Tayvan’ın iç siyaseti, ekonomik durumu, ülkedeki sosyo-politik gelişmeler, Çin Halk Cumhuriyeti-Tayvan ilişkileri ve bu ilişkilerin geleceği gibi konularda genel bir çerçeve çizen aydınlatıcı bir kılavuzdur. 

THE ‘SOCIOLOGICAL TURN’ OF TAIWAN-CHINA RELATIONS
Date : December 2014
Language : English
Type : Conference Book
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Professor Jenn Hwan Wang, vice rector at the National Cheng-Chi University, paid a visit to AVİM as a visiting researcher in December 2014 during his visit to Ankara as part of a research project. During his stay in Turkey, Prof. Wang delivered a number of lectures in various universities and organisations which have been compiled into a report titled The Sociological Turn of Taiwan-China Relations / Tayvan-Çin Halk Cumhuriyeti İlişkilerinde Sosyolojik Dönüşüm and published by AVİM. The report titled The Sociological Turn of Taiwan-China Relations / Tayvan-Çin Halk Cumhuriyeti İlişkilerinde Sosyolojik Dönüşüm makes a general assessment of the internal politics of Taiwan, its economic state, recent socio-political developments in the country, and PRC-Taiwan relations and its future. 

REGIONAL COOPERATION POSSIBILITIES AND PROSPECTS FOR THE FUTURE IN THE CAUCASUS
Date : December 2014
Language : English
Type : Conference Book
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On 9 December 2014, AVİM and Konrad Adenauer Stiftung organized a conference entitled Regional Cooperation Possibilities and Prospects for the Future in the Caucasus dedicated to the discussion of the current political situation in the South Caucasus and future possibilities. In this conference, Honorary Chairman of AVİM Ambassador (R) Ömer Engin Lütem, Director of the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung Office in Turkey Dr. Colin Dürkop, AVİM’s Senior Analyst Aslan Yavuz Şir, Regional Studies Center Program Coordinator Haykak Arshamyan, Assist. Prof. Dr. Serdar Palabıyık (TOBB ETU University), President of International Security Research Center and Lecturer at International Black Sea University Dr. Nika Chitadze, Director of AVİM Ambassador (R) Alev Kılıç, Director of Regional Studies Center Richard Giragosian, Scholar in Residence at Religion, Society and Security Program in Carnegie Moscow Center Alexey Malashenko, Prof. Dr. Mitat Çelikpala (Kadir Has University), Head of the Department of Political Science and International Relations at Khazar University Dr. Mukhtar Hajizada, and Senior Fellow at Georgian Foundation for Strategic and International Studies and Lecturer at Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University Giorgi Badridze delivered speeches. 

ERMENİSTAN-AZERBAYCAN, DAĞLIK KARABAĞ İHTİLAFI: BÖLGESEL BARIŞ VE GÜVENLİĞE VE KOMŞULUK İLİŞKİLERİNE BİR TEHDİT
Date : November 2014
Language : Turkish
Type : Conference Book
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AVİM, Azerbaycan Cumhurbaşkanlığı himayesinde görev yapan Strateji Araştırmalar Merkezi (SAM) işbirliği ile 21 Kasım 2014 tarihinde Ermenistan-Azerbaycan, Dağlık Karabağ İhtilafı: Bölgesel Barış, Güvenlik ve Komşuluk İlişkilerine Bir Tehdit başlıklı bir toplantı düzenlemiştir. Kafkasların jeostratejik öneminin vurgulandığı toplantıda, bölgede güvenlik ve istikrarın sağlanmasının önemi üzerinde durulmuş, Kafkasların gelecekte küresel jeopolitik bağlamda kilit bir konum kazanacağına vurgu yapılmıştır. Bu bağlamda, Dağlık-Karabağ sorununun onarılmaz sorunlara daha fazla yol açmadan Azerbaycan’ın toprak bütünlüğü ilkesi çerçevesinde barışçı bir çözüme ulaşması gereği ifade edilmiştir. 

THE ARMENIAN-AZERBAIJANI, NAGORNO-KARABAKH CONFLICT: A THREAT TO REGIONAL PEACE, SECURITY AND NEIGHBOURLY RELATIONS
Date : November 2014
Language : English
Type : Conference Book
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On 21 November 2014, AVİM, in collaboration with the Center for Strategic Studies under the Presidency of the Republic of Azerbaijan (SAM), held a conference titled The Armenian-Azerbaijani, Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict: A Threat to Regional Peace, Security and Neighbourly Relations. At the meeting, the speakers emphasized the geostrategic significance of the Caucasus and the security and stability concerns which are prevalent in the region. The speakers also underlined the key role the Caucasus will have for the global geopolitics in the near future. In this connection, the need to arrive at a resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, bearing in mind the principle of territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, before it paves the way for further problems was stressed. 

REGIONAL SECURITY COMPLEX THEORY AND THE SOUTH CAUCASUS: SECURITY PERCEPTIONS AND THEIR REFLECTIONS ON REGIONAL LEVEL
Author : Özge Nur ÖĞÜTÇÜ
Date : August 2014
Language : English
Type : Report
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This report evaluates current developments in Caucasus through focusing on their relations with external actors, particularly EU and NATO. These relations will give us an insight about the power balances in the region and different security perceptions in the South Caucasus. Also, this report focuses on security issue in a limited region, with RSC theory and underline the need to find different resources to produce gas in order to create a balance among actors. The “negative dependency” among countries in the former Soviet Union region might cause more crises in the future. 

TURKEY - IRAN: REGIONAL COOPERATION IN AN EVOLVING EURASIAN GEOGRAPHY WITH A FOCUS ON THE CAUCASUS AND CENTRAL ASIA
Date : May 2014
Language : English
Type : Conference Book
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On 28 May, 2014, AVİM and TOBB ETÜ University hosted a meeting on "Turkey-Iran Regional Cooperation in an Evolving Eurasian Geography with a Focus on the Caucasus and Central Asia". Prof. Dr. Golamreza Chegnizade and Prof. Dr. Elaheh Koolaee from Tehran University; Director General for South Asia, Ambassador Şakir Özkan Torunlar and Deputy Undersecretary, Ambassador Mehmet Gücük from Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ambassador Alireza Bikdeli were the speakers of the meeting.

TÜRKİYE - İRAN: AVRASYA COĞRAFYASINDA KAFKASLAR VE ORTA ASYA ODAKLI BÖLGESEL BİR İŞBİRLİĞİ
Date : May 2014
Language : Turkish
Type : Conference Book
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28 Mayıs 2014 tarihinde TOBB ETÜ'de AVİM tarafından, "Türkiye-İran: Avrasya Coğrafyasında Kafkaslar ve Orta Asya Odaklı Bölgesel Bir İşbirliği" başlıklı bir toplantı gerçekleştirilmiştir. Toplantıya, Tahran Üniversitesi'nden Prof. Dr. Golamreza Chegnizade ve Prof. Dr. Elaheh Koolaee, Büyükelçi Şakir Özkan Torunlar, Dışişleri Bakanlığı Müsteşar Yardımcısı Büyükelçi Mehmet Gücük ve Büyükelçi Alireza Bikdeli konuşmacı olarak katılmışlardır.

TURKEY'S AND TAIWAN'S OUTLOOK ON EURASIA-PACIFIC
Date : May 2014
Language : English
Type : Conference Book
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On 7 May, 2014, AVİM hosted a meeting with the participation of a distinguished delegation from Taiwan. The delegation, which was headed by Dr. Chi Su, Senior advisor to the Taiwanese President, gave presentations on China-Taiwan relations and developments in the Asia-Pacific Region.

TURKISH-ARMENIAN DIALOGUE
Date : April 2014
Language : English
Type : Conference Book
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AVİM has organized a meeting on “Turkish-Armenian Dialogue” in İstanbul. The key-note speakers were Founding Director of Regional Studies Center Richard Giragosian and Honorary President of AVİM, Ret. Ambassador Ömer Engin Lütem.

SOUTH EAST EUROPE, THE BALKANS: PROSPECTS FOR THE REGION
Date : March 2014
Language : English
Type : Conference Book
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On March 31, 2014, Center for Eurasian Studies (AVİM)  organized a brain-storming session on the topic   “South East Europe, the Balkans, and Prospects for the Region”. The panel was composed of Ambassadors of Bosnia and Herzegovina,  Bulgaria, Croatia,  Macedonia,  Serbia and Slovenia as well as Babür Hızlan, Director General for the Balkans and Central Europe from the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Hakan Seçilmiş, specialist from the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA).

KÖR İNANÇ OLARAK İNTİKAMCILIK VE TAŞNAK-ASALA SUİKASTLERİ / REVANCHISM AS BLIND FAITH AND THE DASHNAK-ASALA ASSASSINATIONS
Author : Prof. Dr. Hikmet ÖZDEMİR
Date : March 2014
Language : Turkish & English
Type : Report
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In 1938, while giving an account of the propaganda techniques employed in the First World War, American political science expert Harold D. Laswell wrote that he feared the influence of propaganda on civil society. But there is a special type amongst such propaganda techniques that is more frightening than what Laswell had mentioned, and it has highly destructive consequences over civil society. Curiously enough, this special propaganda type has not been made a subject of academic or popular study in international literature except by those who legitimize and praise Armenian revanchism.

DÜNYA KİLİSELER KONSEYİ NEDİR? / WHAT IS THE WORLD COUNCIL OF CHURCHES?
Author : Mehmet Oğuzhan TULUN
Date : March 2014
Language : Turkish & English
Type : Report
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The AVİM report titled “What is the World Council of Churches?” focuses on the international organization called the World Council of Churches (WCC). WCC is a religious organization seeking the goal of Christian unity, which is defined by the organization as the fostering of solidarity and cooperation amongst various Christian groups around the world. The AVİM report draws attention to the fact that WCC has unfortunately involved itself in the propaganda work relating to the Armenian claims of genocide. The report concludes by commenting that WCC’s involvement in such propaganda work is not only unethical in terms of the misuse of religion, but is also flagrantly unconstructive in terms of building inter-faith dialogue. 

THE CAUCASUS AND AZERBAIJAN
Date : March 2014
Language : English
Type : Conference Book
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Bahçeşehir University International Leadership Application and Research Center (ULMER), in cooperation with Azerbaijan Strategic Research Center and Center for Eurasian Studies (AVİM), organized a meeting on “Caucasus and Azerbaijan” 27th of March, 2014. In the meeting that was moderated by AVİM Director R. Ambassador Alev Kılıç, Mr. Thomas Goltz and R. Ambassador Candan Azer made keynote presentations. 

ERMENİ APOSTOLİK KİLİSESİ'NDE YAŞANAN ANLAŞMAZLIKLAR / THE ARMENIAN APOSTOLIC CHURCH
Author : Mehmet Oğuzhan TULUN
Date : February 2014
Language : Turkish & English
Type : Report
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AVİM has published its fourth report, titled “The Armenian Apostolic Church”. The report initially provides an overview of the history and the structure of the national church of the Armenian people; the Armenian Apostolic Church. The report’s main focus is on the ongoing disagreements experienced amongst Armenians regarding their national church. The Armenian Apostolic Church is being criticized by a significant part of the Armenians for being administered in an excessively authoritarian manner, and falling into a state of corruption and irregularity. Other Armenians, however, reject such criticisms and maintain the idea that Armenians are being needlessly fragmented over frivolous matters.  Lastly, the report reminds the reader that such disagreements are no way an indication that Armenians are divided as a community, and that they will as a community employ various means to pursue their interests. This is related to the Armenian drive to gain recognition for the so-called Armenian genocide, and how Armenians will employ historical and religious issues to further their agenda.

AVRASYA’DA BÖLGESEL BİR İŞBİRLİĞİ MEKANİZMASI: TÜRK KONSEYİ / A MECHANISM OF REGIONAL COOPERATION IN EURASIA: TURKIC COUNCIL
Author : Ali ÇİVİLER
Date : February 2014
Language : Turkish & English
Type : Report
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With its vast natural and human resources as well as its strategic location on traditional Silk Road, Eurasia has always been a center of gravity for the regional and global players of international politics. Although, the exact borders of the region are still a subject of academic discussion, geostrategic importance of Eurasia is a fact agreed upon by leading geo-strategists. 

ERMENİLER VE SURİYE: 1915 VE 2013 / ARMENIANS AND SYRIA: 1915 AND 2013
Author : Jeremy SALT
Date : February 2014
Language : Turkish & English
Type : Report
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This brief article takes as its starting point a parallel drawn by the British journalist Robert Fisk between the suffering of Armenians during the First World War and the suffering of Armenians during the current conflict in Syria. The author draws other parallels: between the manipulation of the Armenians and other ethno-religious groups to serve the interests of the entente powers between 1914-18 and the human consequences of intervention in present day Syria by western governments and their regional allies. Indeed, the entire Middle East and North Africa has been an arena for western intervention since early in the 19th century. The author looks at key events from the unfolding of the ‘Armenian question’ through to the Greek invasion of western Anatolia in 1919, carried out under the aegis of the victorious wartime powers and ending in disaster for both Anatolian Turks and Greeks. The article challenges the historical division drawn between the perpetrators of violence and the victims of violence, showing that both were to be found in virtually all ethno-religious groups in what was at the time the most destructive war in world history. The author sees the acknowledgement of this reality as the true foundation of reconciliation between groups still clinging to deeply polarized historical narratives.

AVRASYA PERSPEKTİFLERİ: KAZAKİSTAN VE TÜRKİYE’DEN BAKIŞ
Date : February 2014
Language : Turkish
Type : Conference Book
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Center for Eurasian Studies (AVİM) held a brain-storming meeting on 25th of February, on the topic “Eurasian Perspectives- The Views from Kazakhstan and Turkey” (Avrasya Perspektifleri: Kazakistan ve Türkiye’den Bakış.” The speakers at the meeting included H.E. Zhanseit Tuimebayev, Ambassador of the Republic of Kazakhstan in Ankara, by H.E. Ambassador Ali Kemal Aydın, Deputy Undersecretary of the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and H.E. Ret. Ambassador Çınar Aldemir, Executive Director of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA).

TURKEY IN THE TROIKA OF G-20, PREPARING TO ASSUME THE CHAIR IN 2015
Date : November 2013
Language : English
Type : Conference Book
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On November 14, 2013, AVİM Studies hosted a "brainstorming" meeting titled "G-20 – The Global Economic Forum, with Australia in the chair in 2014 to be followed by Turkey in 2015." Undersecretary of Treasury of Turkey, Mr. İbrahim Çanaklı, H.E. Ambassador of Australia Ian Biggs, and H.E. Ambassador Mehmet Gücük, deputy Undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Sherpa of Turkey, made presentations during the meeting. Transcripts and presentations of speakers which took place at the meeting has been compiled into this conference book. Furthermore, the Ambassador of the Russian Federation H.E. Andrey Karlov also contributed to this conference book with an article. 

A GENERAL LOOK AT ASIA AND TURKEY'S PRIORITIES
Date : June 2013
Language : English
Type : Report
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Address by H.E. Ambassador Naci Koru, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Turkey at the meeting entitled “A General Look at Asia and Turkey's Priorities” held by AVİM on June 11, 2013.

REGIONAL INTEGRATED TRANSPORT CORRIDORS PROJECT
Date : May 2013
Language : English
Type : Report
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Presentation by H.E. Ambassador Fatih Ceylan, Deputy Undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkey, at the meeting entitled “Regional Integrated Transport Corridors Project” on May 2, 2013.