Turkiye Polisi Washington'da Think-Tank Acti

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Dr. David Cuthell of the Institute of Turkish Studies at Georgetown Visits TISD

Dr. David Cuthell, Director of the Institute of Turkish Studies (ITS) at Georgetown University, visited the Turkish Institute for Security and Democracy (TISD) headquarters in Washington DC on Wednesday, April 23.

Reported by Katie Rice

The Institute of Turkish Studies was founded in 1982 in Washington DC, and operates as a non-profit , private educational foundation. Its offices are located at the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University and its work involves promoting scholarship on Turkey in the United States.
Dr. Cuthell first met with TISD President Samih Teymur to learn more about TISD’s plans for the future. He then went on to address TISD staff and ten Turkish National Police members, all of whom are working towards their graduate degrees in various schools in the Washington, DC area.

“There is a natural affinity of one culture for another,” he said of Turkish – American relations on a person to person level, and mentioned several similarities he saw between Turkey and the United States. Their histories, he said, are “parallel and congruent, but not overlapping,” both countries being relatively new and also nations of immigrants.

On the level of government, however, he noted a lack of understanding for what goes on in Turkey on the part of Washington, and said, “Incirlik is not a basis of real relations.” He encouraged more meaningful ties between the two countries in areas such as culture and business, and pointed out that TISD is very important in building such relationships.

Regarding Turkey’s reputation and role in the world, Dr. Cuthell stated that Turkey is re-emerging from the Ottoman past into today, into the role it deserves in the world. “It is inevitable that Turkey will play a larger role,” he said.

He commented that the Armenian issue is a “hot button issue” in Turkey, but a topic which is just not on the consciousness of many Americans. As a result, this and other issues do not receive sufficient attention. He also spoke about the PKK, specifically about the way the terrorist organization presents itself outside of Turkey as freedom fighters who look out for marginalized people like Robin Hood. He recommended that Turkey present the real picture of the PKK, perhaps through a movie or documentary designed to attract a wide popular audience.

While awareness of important issues in Turkey among the general US public is currently not as high as it could be, Dr. Cuthell said that from a US academic point of view, there has been a significant increase in interest in the US in Turkey.

He concluded his address by discussing how TISD and ITS can work together in the future. A variety of courses on Turkish language and culture are available at Georgetown through ITS, including a Turkish Films course taught by Dr. Cuthell himself. “We need to raise the profile of Turkey, and develop scholars” who will focus their studies on Turkey.
“With a network, we can make this work. It is good for Turkey; it is good for the US.”

Isref Haber Washington DC (Reported by Katie Rice)

Copyright the Turkish Institute for Security and Democracy (TISD)