During the week of February 14-18 TUSIAD-US held a speaking tour in three cities across the United States. The aim of the program was to bring Turkey experts to policy centers other than the usual venues in Washington and New York. The tour brought TUSIAD-US President Abdullah Akyüz and TUSIAD foreign policy advisor and Kadir Has University Professor Soli Özel to Chicago, Los Angeles, and San Francisco to speak on the ongoing transformation in Turkish politics, economy, and society and its implications for U.S.-Turkey relations and the surrounding region.
Specific topics discussed included the recent unrest in the Arab world and the idea of a Turkish model for democratic
reform, the Mavi Marmara incident and Turkish-Israeli relations, and the Iranian nuclear issue, as well as Turkey’s economic orientation and dynamics. The tour took Mr. Akyüz and Mr. Özel to the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, Northwestern University’s Buffett Center for International and Comparative Studies, RAND Corporation Headquarters in Santa Monica, Stanford University’s Mediterranean Studies Forum, and the World Affairs Council of Northern California.
Please click here to view Mr. Akyuz’s slide show presentation.