Abant Platform Convenes in Washington
The SAIS, one of Washington’s most prestigious locations, is the conference’s forum. This year’s topic is "Islam, Democracy and Secularism: The Turkish Experience".
SAIS Vice Dean John Harrington had said on April 12 that the School is hosting Abant Platform because of Turkey’s experiences with Islam and secularism, particularly after September 11th.
Today the first session have started with a keynote speech by Turkish State Minister Mehmet Aydin and today’s three panels in which many Turkish and American intellectuals will participate in: Turkish Islam, Turkish Secularism and Turkish Democracy will be discussed.
According to a SAIS press release, the first day panelists are:
Turkish Islam: Carter Findley (The Ohio State University), Kemal Karpat (University of Wisconsion-Madison), John Voll (Georgetown Univesity), Hakan Yavuz (University of Utah)
Turkish Secularism: Cengiz Candar (Tercuman Newspaper), Elizabeth Hurd (Northwestern University), Augustus Richard Norton (University of Boston) and Mete Tuncay (Bilgi University).
Turkish Democracy: Henri Barkey (Lehigh University), Dale Eickleman (Dartmouth University), John Esposito (Georgetown University), Jenny White (Boston University)
On April 20, participants in round table meetings will discuss Turkey’s experiences with Islam and secularism and the applicability of those experiences to the Middle East, Central Asia as well as the Caucasus.
Turkish State Ministers Mehmet Aydin and Ali Babacan as well as Republican People’s Party (CHP) member and Istanbul Deputy Kemal Dervis will attend the Platform. Well-known academic Francis *censored*uyama from SAIS and Bilgi University’s Prof. Mete Tuncay, representing Abant Platform, will make the opening remarks.
The following scholars and intellectuals, in addition to those of today’s session, will participate in the round-table discussions on the second day of the Platform:
Ahmet Hadi Adanali (University of Ankara), Sahin Alpay (Bahcesehir University), Adnan Aslan (ISAM), Zeyno Baran (Nixon Center), David Calleo, Svante Cornell, Charles Fairbanks and James Miller (Johns Hopkins University-SAIS), Rusen Cakir (TESEV), Seda Ciftci (CSIS), Steven A. Cook (CFR), Huseyin Gulerce (Zaman), Kenan Gursoy (Galatasaray University), Sukru Hanioglu (University of Princeton), Hussain Haqqani (CEIP), Eric Hooglund (Journal of Palestine Studies), John Hulsman (Heritage Foundation), Barry Jacobs (AJC), Fehmi Koru (Yeni Safak Newspaper), Burhan Kuzu (Turkish Parliament Constitutional Council President), Anatol Lieven (CEIP), Ambassador David Mack (MEI), Mithat Melen (Istanbul University), Zach Messitte (St. Mary’s College), Elisabeth Ozdalga (Sweden Insitute of Research), Zeki Saritoprak (John Carroll University), Sabri Sayari (Georgetown University), Edibe Sozen (Istanbul University), Omer Taspinar (Brookings Institution), Berna Turam (Hampshire University), and Cuneyt Ulsever (Hurriyet Newspaper).
The Abant Platform Washington meeting is open to the public. Simultaneous Turkish-English translation are provided and it can also be watched at the SAIS Website: www.sais-jhu.edu.
