Üsküdar University Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences organized a faculty seminar titled “Participation and Foreign Policy in the Second Century of the Republic”. The seminar, moderated by Assoc. Prof. Dr. İbrahim Arslan, featured Assoc. Prof. Dr. Merve Özdemirkıran Embel and Dr. Lecturer Ali Demir as speakers. In the seminar, where the fundamental dynamics of Turkish foreign policy were evaluated, Turkey's foreign policy vision was also one of the notable topics.
The seminar, also attended by Prof. Dr. Deniz Ülke Kaynak, Dean of Üsküdar University Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, took place in the Socrates Hall of Üsküdar University Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences.
The program, moderated by Assoc. Prof. Dr. İbrahim Arslan, Head of the Political Science and International Relations Department, featured Assoc. Prof. Dr. Merve Özdemirkıran Embel from Marmara University's Political Science and Public Administration department and Dr. Lecturer Ali Demir from the Political Science and International Relations (English) department as speakers.
Faculty academics showed great interest in the seminar.
The Proclamation Process of the Republic Was Addressed
In his opening speech, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Arslan touched upon the process of the Republic's proclamation, and provided information regarding Mustafa Kemal Atatürk's election as the first President.
Prof. Dr. Deniz Ülke Kaynak: “Turkish foreign policy bears similarities to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs”
Prof. Dr. Deniz Ülke Kaynak, Dean of Üsküdar University Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, stated that Turkish foreign policy bears similarities to Maslow's hierarchy of needs. Kaynak stated that the country's search for security and autonomy is among the primary objectives in foreign policy. She added that the discourses of ‘New Turkey’ and ‘precious loneliness’ point to Turkey's goal of self-actualization in its foreign policy vision.
Dr. Lecturer Ali Demir: “One of the most significant problems of democracy is conflicts of interest”
Dr. Lecturer Ali Demir from Üsküdar University Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Political Science and International Relations (English) department, in his speech, referred to the theory of action developed by Habermas and Aristotle based on their constitutional state typology. Demir compared liberal and republican understandings, emphasizing that the liberal view prioritizes money and power, while the republican understanding prioritizes relationships. He also pointed out that one of the most significant problems of democracy is conflicts of interest.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Merve Özdemirkıran Embel: “Western-centric political thought is being questioned”
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Merve Özdemirkıran Embel from Marmara University's Political Science and Public Administration department evaluated the fundamental dynamics of Turkish foreign policy in her speech. She stated that the balance policy, a legacy of the Ottoman Empire, and the principle of ‘Peace at home, peace in the world,’ which became prominent during the Republic's establishment, played a significant role in shaping Turkey's foreign policy as a middle power. Embel stated that geographical location affects foreign policy, adding that the problems between Turkey and Greece are related to the energy crisis in the Eastern Mediterranean. In her speech, Embel also drew attention to the current crisis of norms, stating that Western-centric political thought is being questioned.
The event concluded with questions from the participants being answered.