5th Sakıp Sabancı International Research Awards Given
Sabancı University Board of Trustees Chair Güler Sabancı:

“Turkey’s EU membership will be a window of opportunity for the advancement of social, cultural and political pluralism and the emergence of a richer, more diverse EU society.”

Given this year in the field of “European Governance and Cultural Diversity: The Impact of Turkey’s Accession,” the Sakıp Sabancı International Research Award went to Delaware University postgraduate student Juliette Tolay with her essay titled “Turkey’s Other Multicultural Debate: Lessons for the EU”.  Second prize was given to Dr. C. Akça Ataç of Çankaya University, and third prize to Assistant Professor Şener Aktürk of Koç University.

The ceremony for the fifth Sakıp Sabancı International Research Awards given by Sabancı University was held on Tuesday, June 8th at Sabancı University Sakıp Sabancı Museum - the Seed, and was hosted by Sabancı University Board of Trustees Chair Güler Sabancı and President Professor Nihat Berker.  This year’s topic was “European Governance and Cultural Diversity: The Impact of Turkey’s Accession,” and the first prize went to Delaware University postgraduate student Juliette Tolay with her essay titled “Turkey’s Other Multicultural Debate: Lessons for the EU”.

Second prize was given to Dr. C. Akça Ataç of Çankaya University with her essay titled “Another Brick on the Tower of Babel: Turkey’s Possible Challenges and Contributions to the EU’s Language Policy”.  Third prize was given to Assistant Professor Şener Aktürk of Koç University with his essay titled “The Impact of Ethno-Religious Demography on Strengthening Secularism and the Dynamics of Multiculturalism: Turkey’s Accession into the European Union”.

Sabancı University Board of Trustees Chair Güler Sabancı gave the opening speech, and was followed by Joost Lagendijk, Senior Advisor to the Sabancı University Istanbul Policy Center, and first prize winner Juliette Tolay.  Sabancı University Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences faculty member and Jury Coordinator Professor Sabri Sayarı explained the rationale for their selection.

The master of ceremonies was actor Memet Ali Alabora.  Winners received their awards from Sabancı University Board of Trustees Chair Güler Sabancı, Sabancı University Board of Trustees Mamber Sevil Sabancı, and Sabancı University President Professor Nihat Berker.

“A change towards a pluralistic society is a need for Turkey.”
Sabancı University Board of Trustees Chair Güler Sabancı began her speech by expressing her pleasure in giving the fifth Sakıp Sabancı International Research Awards on behalf of Sabancı University.  Noting that the awards created intellectual interest both in Turkey and on an international level, Sabancı said that a change towards a pluralistic society was a need for Turkey.

To conclude her speech, Güler Sabancı said, “Studies on EU-Turkey relations usually dwell on the possible problems that may arise upon Turkey’s accession to the EU.  To the contrary, entrants to this year’s Sakıp Sabancı Awards were asked to analyze the possible contribution of Turkey to cultural diversity and the good governance of a diverse structure in the EU.  This indicates a pressing need for a change of paradigm.  I believe that these awards and similar efforts will change some paradigms when thinking on our common future with the EU, and help disrupt mutual prejudices and stereotypes.  Turkey’s EU membership will be a window of opportunity for the advancement of social, cultural and political pluralism and the emergence of a richer, more diverse EU society.”

“‘Negotiation’ is poor wording in Turkey-EU relations”
Speaking on behalf of the jury, Sabancı University Istanbul Policy Center Senior Advisor Joost Lagendijk said that the relation between Turkey and the EU concerned Turkey’s harmonization with the EU, and that the same process applied to all member states.  Lagendijk added that the relations between the two parties progressed on two distinct platforms, namely the harmonization of Turkish legislation with the acquis communautaire, and economic reforms referred to as Copenhagen Criteria.  In this respect, Lagendijk said “negotiation” was poor wording for these relations.

Joost Lagendijk argued that a similar situation existed with respect to immigration, and that Turkey would have to adapt to the EU and take back the illegal immigrants in Europe.

Mentioning that Europe is critical of Turkey with respect to cultural diversity, Lagendijk said that the winner of the first prize dealt with this situation as a path that has multiple sides to it.  Referring to the article, Joost Lagendijk said that immigrants from Africa and Asia restored the cultural diversity present in the Ottoman state.

Lagendijk said that the number of immigrants in Turkey was less than that in Europe, and continued, “There are restrictions to entering Turkey, but the visa policy is relaxed; Turkey can easily welcome and accommodate immigrants.  EU, on the other hand, is on the opposite extreme, safeguarding its borders with determinations.  The European society is not flexible towards immigrants.”

“Turkey’s attitude towards cultural diversity as a result of immigration is differentiated from that of Europe.  This experience may yield positive results for Europe.”
Juliette Tolay, the winner of this year’s Sakıp Sabancı International Research Award, spoke in Turkish.  Tolay said that whenever cultural diversity is mentioned in Turkey, it is usually in the manner of historical diversity, especially with respect to religious minorities (Jewish, Greek and Armenian) or to the Kurdish and Alevi identities.  Tolay noted that although a similar notion of historical cultural diversity exists in Europe, the pervasive notion of diversity today was immigration-based diversity, which was not a topic of discussion in Turkey, and that it warranted attention and discussion as immigration is a reality.

Tolay added that Turkey received considerable immigration in the post-Cold War era, and, in addition to businesspeople from its eastern and southern neighbors, it also harbored refugees.  Tolay also mentioned the large number of retired Europeans relocating to the western and southern coasts of Turkey.

Tolay explained that her essay analyzed how this diversity was being received by Turkey, and said, “When we look at the difficulties raised by immigration-based cultural diversity in Europe, its significance for Turkey is apparent.  While various and often conflicting reactions are given in Turkey regarding this issue, there is also a notable lack of data due to very little research.”

Tolay said that while the lack of a polarized political climate in Turkey regarding immigration was a welcome development, the fact that immigration is not on the agenda makes the integration of immigrants a challenge.  Juliette Tolay concluded that Turkey’s liberal visa policy was a solution that was better suited to the ideal of free travel and the needs of a global world.

ABOUT THE SAKIP SABANCI INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH AWARDS

In 2005, Sabancı University and the Brookings Institute decided to jointly announce and administer an international research award in order to encourage research on all aspects of Turkish culture, society and politics, and to uphold distinguished examples of fresh research with a view to engaging intellectual attention on Turkey’s role in the contemporary world.  The “Sakıp Sabancı International Research Award” has been endowed in honor of the late Sakıp Sabancı, Honorary Chairman of Sabancı University’s Board of Trustees, and covers fields such as Turkish and Islamic Art and the History, Economy and Sociology of Turkey.

The topic of the first Research Award in 2006 was “Turkey's New Geopolitical Environment: Policy Challenges and Opportunities for Engagement.” A seven-member international jury reviewed all essays.  The winner was Lerna K. Yanık from Bilkent University’s Department of Political Science for her essay on “Beyond ‘Bridges,’ ‘Crossroads’ and ‘Buffer Zones’: Defining a New International Role for Turkey.”

The topic for the 2007 award competition was “Perceptions of the Ottoman Legacy in the Balkans and the Middle East”.  A nine-member international jury reviewed all essays. The first prize went to Dr. Christine Philliou, from Columbia University’s History Department, for her essay on “The Paradox of Perceptions: Interpreting the Ottoman Past through the National Present”.

In 2008, the topic of the competition was “The Ottoman Legacy for Contemporary Turkish Culture, Institutions, and Values”.  Participants studied the reflections of the Ottoman heritage on the culture, institutions and values of contemporary Turkey.  The first prize went to Amy Singer, professor of Ottoman History in the Department of Middle Eastern and African History at Tel Aviv University, with her essay, “The Persistence of Philanthropy”.

The topic for 2009 was “Pluralism in Contemporary Turkish Society and Politics” with the first prize going to Kabir Tambar of Vermont University with his essay titled “Paradoxes of Pluralism: Ritual Aesthetics and the Alevi Revival in Turkey”.

ABOUT THE WINNERS OF THE 2010 AWARDS

First prize winner Juliette Tolay’s article “Turkey’s Other Multicultural Debate: Lessons for the EU” shows, in the author’s own words: “Where European countries have chosen to deal with migration by closing the borders to prevent further migration while tackling upfront the issue of multiculturalism, Turkey is doing the contrary...  While Turkey has been receiving important and very varied flows of immigration, there is no significant recognition of this phenomenon at the discourse level within the Turkish public.”  The paper successfully analyzes how Turkey’s recent migration policy can be of value to the debate about the future of multiculturalism in Europe. Another important value of the paper is that it raises questions about migration and the welfare state in an age of globalization as well as the sustainability of the Turkish policy. This is related to the broader debate on how developments or experiments in the EU’s periphery can exert an impact on the future of the EU.

Second prize winner Dr. C. Akça Ataç’s paper entitled “Another Brick on the Tower of Babel: Turkey’s Possible Challenges and Contributions to the EU’s Language Policy” effectively highlights the possible role of Turkish language to enhance the present policies of multilingualism in the EU. In the foreseeable future, Turkish will become an official language of the EU because of the EU membership of the bi-national republic of Cyprus. It is therefore ironic that Turkish will become an intrinsic part of the EU’s rich tapestry of languages regardless of whether Turkey is a member of the EU or not, and this will contribute significantly to Turkey’s informal integration into the EU long before the formal accession process is completed.

Third prize winner Assistant Professor Şener Aktürk argues in his essay titled The Impact of Ethno-Religious Demography on Strengthening Secularism and the Dynamics of Multiculturalism: Turkey’s Accession into the European Union that Turkey will contribute to the pluralistic religious landscape of the EU, not only because it is a majority Muslim country, but also because of its diverse religious and social fabric. Based on an analysis of religious homogenization processes, the author offers a broad perspective on historical developments regarding the role of region in both Europe and Turkey, and also incorporates a comparison with the American religious experience. In the view of the author, “Turkey’s accession into the EU is a sine qua non for the deepening of secularism and religious freedom, both in the EU and in Turkey.”

Total prize given was 35,000 dollars

2010 was the fifth year the Sakıp Sabancı International Research Awards were given in the name of the Honorary Chairman of the Sabancı University Board of Trustees, the late Sakıp Sabancı.  The award is given in fields such as Turkish and Islamic Art and the History, Economy and Sociology of Turkey.  Applications are assessed by a jury composed of scholars and experts of the relevant fields.  The competition is open to all scholars of humanities and social sciences studying contemporary Turkey, and grants prizes of USD 20,000 to the first, USD 10,000 to the second and USD 5,000 to the third.

This year’s competition called for works in the field of “European Governance and Cultural Diversity: The Impact of Turkey’s Accession”, and received 17 applications from Turkey, the United States, and Europe.  The following scholars comprised this year’s jury: Professor Sabri Sayarı (Sabancı University Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences), Joost Lagendijk (Senior Advisor to Sabancı University Istanbul Policy Center), Professor Ziya Öniş (Koç University International Relations Department Faculty Member and Institute of Social Sciences Director), Professor Philip Robins (Oxford University St Antony’s College Faculty Member), Professor Uffe Ostergaard (Copenhagen Business School Faculty Member), Professor Raoul Motika (Hamburg University Faculty Member).