Centre For Policy and Research On Turkey (Research Turkey)
Centre for Policy on Research on Turkey (Research Turkey) is a prominent think-tank based in London, in the United Kingdom, conducting policy analyses, research, interviews and workshops on today’s political issues. Focussing primarily on contemporary Turkey, Research Turkey centre has been actively publishing a wide range of articles, interviews, reviews, commentaries, and research/policy papers both in English and Turkish languages, on political, economic, social, and cultural issues, by following interdisciplinary trends in the global world and examining Turkey and the global world from different angles. Against the tendency to homogenise perspectives in the media and to reduce complex political and social reality to simplistic analysis, it welcomes theoretical and political pluralism to reach a more comprehensive, multi-sided understanding of contemporary Turkey in its global context. [1]
Going beyond the boundaries of a self-enclosed academic scholarship, Research Turkey offers to use tools of theoretically grounded and empirically valid research in investigating unexplored aspects of Turkish society and polity or looking into its better known aspects from different angles. The organisation has no organic link with any political party, think tank, ideological movement or NGOs. Submissions are assessed by the board of editors on the basis of argumentation and evidence but the perspective adopted cannot be interfered due to the principle of respect for freedom of thought.
Research Turkey also organises public events, politics forums and public lectures and conference in notable universities of UK such as LSE, King’s College and SOAS, as well as in other respectable institutions such as the British Parliament and British Academy.[2]
Research Turkey, besides its headquarters in London, also operates through its offices in Istanbul and Ankara as well as permanent representatives in Brussels and Latin America.[3]
Publications [4]
Research Turkey encourages authors to write in a clear and intelligible language for a wider and general audience. Research Turkey encourages and hosts a public conversation on contemporary Turkish politics as long as it is not hateful, sexist or discriminatory. If a paper is polemical, the criticized authors are invited to respond to enable a fruitful and productive discussion.
Submissions can include political, economic and social analyses of contemporary Turkey and the global world. Although our primary focus is on Turkey and Turkish politics, we also encourage articles and scholarship that pertain to other countries or general commentary on issues related to: foreign affairs, the global perspectives on politics and economy, society, and culture as well as memoirs and essays. The types of publications are as follow:
- Academic Articles
Academic articles are the most rigorous type of publications that the Centre for Policy and Research on Turkey publishes. Academic Articles should answer a line of inquiry with a clear research question, which is systemically tested through a meticulous methodological approach and vast scholastic research. Academic articles are generally considered to intellectually contribute to a body of literature (topic/subject) by addressing fundamental framing questions, critiquing previous academic work, or to hold a discussion within said body of literature.
- Interview Transcripts
Interview Transcripts are a written record of a discussion between the interviewer and the interviewee on a particular subject or issue that the interviewee is an expert or has credibility on. Interviews should focus on a line of inquiry or subject that can offer insights to the readers.
- Opinion Piece
Opinion pieces are written on either a subject-matter or issue that the author wants to present the reader with his or hers unique perspective. Opinion pieces are generally a short essay that expresses the opinion of the author. At Research Turkey, Opinion piece are in-between 600 and 2,000 words.
- Policy Papers
Policy Papers address an issue in contemporary politics or a paper that critiques a current policy that is clearly discernible. A good policy paper should provide clear alternatives to the current policy and should make have sufficient data or research presented to provide the target audience (i.e. the decision-maker) with information to make a decision on the policy proposal. At Research Turkey, policy papers are in-between 2,000 and 6,000 words.
- Research/Working Papers
Research or Working Papers, are semi-academic papers written with the objective of becoming full academic works at a later date. Research or Working papers should present an introductory hypothesis, an empirical puzzle and/or a theoretical debate on a selected topic, and should discuss it with a clear argument and contextual framework. Research and Working papers are meant to incur critical feedback that assists authors in crafting their project.