European-april-14

ARTICLES

Letter from the Editor

This spring of 2014 is not just an ordinary spring, as they usually come and go. For us, clustered around the European Perspectives journal, it also means the anniversary spring. Namely, this issue is the 10th in a row. One could dare to say that we are a strong community of not only the editorial board members, team and reviewers, but above all of the contributors and readers. It is our humble opinion that during that period we have fulfilled our mission and the expectation of the publisher. Still, our ambition does not stop here.

We started in the autumn of 2009 with the first issue, which was at the same time also the special one, dedicated to the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. Two special issues followed. One about Turkey in autumn of 2011, with which we tried to point out the necessity of reviving the negotiation process between the EU and its biggest candidate country so far. In the summer of 2013 we released the third special issue, in that case dedicated to the young generation. We are glad to be the frontrunner among those who focused on one of the most important, acute and frustrated topics of the current international politics.

All in all, we published 57 articles in the journal’s main section, and in addition to this nine of them in the Sarajevo 2014 section. This makes a substantial volume of 65 peer reviewed contributions from various fields, like politics and policy, security, the EU affairs, diplomacy, economy, history, minority questions, cross-border cooperation, even linguistic, to name only the most visible ones. We presented nineteen book reviews from similar areas, all of them pointing out works that help to understand the broader region, its complexity and interconnectedness. The Croquis section has brought nine policy–ethno refreshments to otherwise dry scientific contemplations. There was the same number of contributions from distinguished guests, who expressed their views as a credo for the region’s future. All of them are listed in a special section at the end of this issue. Consequently, one could say that the journal is an opinion showing venue and possibility, not only because of the fact that the majority of contributors come from the region. We are particularly glad to offer an opportunity to those, who are beginning with their search for a place in the academic community. That is, at the end of the day, our contribution: to focus on the region and its potentials, and to try to promote promising authors from the very region.

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That much about the past endeavours. The current issue begins with a special section, devoted to the active citizenship and brings four articles, in addition to the four ones, discussing the EU related topics (citizen’s perception, visa liberalization and communication strategies) as well as security cooperation model for the region. The current Guest View discusses the role of think tanks and focuses in particular on one increasing aspect of their work: delivering awards. Why do they do this, what is their aim and fulfillment. The Turkish TASAM shows the example. This time the Croquis reflects a person that stood out in a hot late June day in Sarajevo a hundred years ago. It was Gavrilo Princip, a young activist, who pulled the trigger that by a chain of events later led to the unimaginable confrontation of great powers. The World War I or the Great War is a break even point in the history of mankind and its message should be universally understandable and acceptable, although political reality teaches us it is not just like that.

Sarajevo 2014 section therefore remains not a single remembrance of the historical avalanche, but is for us also a memento that spans over its concrete reasoning. This means that the section will remain as a corner element of the journal’s structure. As a recollection of mind, the present author discusses five classical novels from the region and searches for diplomatic elements in their narrative. Innovative and challenging.

This year is rich with anniversaries, reaching back not only to the already mentioned beginning of the WWI, but also even twice as much backwards to the famous Congress of Vienna, which de facto started in November 1814. Too much of history for one year only. So let’s better stick to this jubilee issue.

Wishing you, as usual, but this time even more fruitful and critically coloured reading. Thanks for being with us and hope to see you again in the autumn of 2014.

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guest view

The Role of Think Tanks in a Transformed World

Süleyman Şensoy

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European Perspectives – Journal on European Perspectives of the Western Balkans Vol. 6 No. 1(10), pp 07 - 12, April 2014

The Role of Think Tanks in

a Transformed World

Süleyman Şensoy1

The 21st Century is witnessing major changes and transformations with walls crumbling and paradigms shifting. This transformation is, of course, of utmost relevance to countries and communities.

Undoubtedly, the majority of the think tank organizations in developed and developing countries and especially in new regional/global power candidate countries have continued their work with the cooperation/ social responsibility of public institutes, private institutes, universities and media. The capacity of institutional think and network which rise with the efforts of think tanks, provides related country’s public administration, civil society and private sector to be in boundless innovation.

Turkey is a country that has achieved significant progress in democratization and accomplished enduring success in the areas of human rights and personal freedoms in the 21st century. Furthermore, the prevention of numerous attempts to establish a political tutelage and the implementation of major reforms in the political sphere, the economy, social life, etc. puts Turkey in an exemplary position. Looking at it from this perspective, there is a significant accumulation of ‘Turkish Experience’.

The Turkish Asian Center for Strategic Studies – TASAM

The Center, which has been operating in the institutional body of an NGO, as a private and independent think tank for ten years, has become an international brand with its activities and the capacity it has built by deeply penetrating the areas it affects. TASAM has taken it upon itself, since the beginning, to impartially and scientifically carry forward and share the values of Turkey’s historical and cultural background. For this reason, it has made countless projects and works that develop the strategic vision for the future’s civilization. These works and projects have been embodied in

1Süleyman Şensoy is Chairman of the Turkish Asian Center for Strategic Studies (TASAM) ISSN1855-7694 © 2014 European Perspectives, UDK: 327 (4)

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Süleyman Şensoy

meetings, symposiums, congresses, seminars, brain storms, books, tours, activities, journals, and reports.

There are 10 foreign policy fields that TASAM acts on. These are continently Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America and Caribbean and North America. The regional ones are Balkans, Middle East, Black Sea - Caucasus and Mediterranean which are - in every parameter - the security zone of these four continents in terms of Turkey. Also Turkic World and Islamic World are called as identical fields. TASAM activities turn into concrete results by its final reports, strategic reports, refereed journals, books, agreements, institutes, networks, platforms and Web Sites within the extent of continuously increasing studies regarding these 10 foreign policy fields.

Combined with public diplomacy, these results develop bottom to top consciousness and interaction and give effective information, ideas and suggestions to the related decision makers; thus bring about strategic contributions to a Turkey-and-its-allies-centered perspective on the basis of power and justice.

TASAM, studying to reflect its experiences concerning 4 continents, 4 subregions and Turkic and Islamic World to every parameter in Turkey by projects all around the country, has been carrying out many of its institutional processes, being in the first place the Turkey’s Strategic Vision 2023, which has been performed in 81 provinces under the auspices of the Presidency of Turkish Republic. TASAM activities, which are developed with the perspective to provide strategic contributions to Turkey’s institutional capacity building, together with its institutional network have reached a level of global importance. Around hundreds of leading experts and academics contribute to TASAM’s institutes, platforms, projects and other activities which span nearly 100 countries.

Additionally – the TASAM WORLD was founded by TASAM and is an umbrella organization that steers and coordinates the activities of a wide range of institutions, networks and platforms serving as a centre for capacity building management and cooperation.

In this context, the following are the related institutions; TASAM Development and Cooperation Institute, African Institute, Institute of Islamic Countries, Institute of Public Diplomacy, Political Communication Institute and Balkan Communication Network, World Turkish Forum, Think Tanks Platform of OIC Countries, Turkey Nuclear Technology Platform, Think Tanks Dialogue of Turkey, International Development & Cooperation Platform of NGOs and also Turkey’s Strategic Vision 2023 Pro-

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