Turkish
Turkish may refer to:
* Something related to Turkey
** Turkish language
*** Turkish alphabet
** Turkish people, a Turkic ethnic group and nation
*** Turkish citizen, a citizen of Turkey
*** Turkish communities in the former Ottoman Empire
* The w ...
: ''Global İlişkiler Forumu'', GRF) is an independent,
non-partisan
Nonpartisanship, also known as nonpartisanism, is a lack of affiliation with a political party and a lack of political bias.
While an ''Oxford English Dictionary'' definition of ''partisan'' includes adherents of a party, cause, person, etc., ...
,
non-profit
A nonprofit organization (NPO), also known as a nonbusiness entity, nonprofit institution, not-for-profit organization, or simply a nonprofit, is a non-governmental (private) legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public, or so ...
think-tank
A think tank, or public policy institute, is a research institute that performs research and advocacy concerning topics such as social policy, political strategy, economics, military, technology, and culture. Most think tanks are non-governme ...
and association founded on May 11, 2009, in
Istanbul
Istanbul is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, constituting the country's economic, cultural, and historical heart. With Demographics of Istanbul, a population over , it is home to 18% of the Demographics ...
,
Turkey
Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...
with the committed support of 40 Turkish men and women who have assumed prominent roles in international fora and have received international recognition for their efforts throughout their careers. The founding members include former secretaries of state, university presidents, central bank governors, ECHR justice and retired ambassadors as well as leading business leaders, scholars, artists, and journalists. GRF is a platform designed to engage, inform, and stimulate its members and all interested individuals on matters related to international affairs and
global issues
A global issue is a matter of Social issue#Types of social issues, public concern worldwide. This list of global issues presents problems or phenomena affecting people around the world, including but not limited to widespread social issues, econ ...
. GRF advocates a global order of shared influence and accountability and seeks a constructive role for Turkey in that order.
GRF events have hosted individuals from diverse fields, including
Fatih Birol
Fatih Birol (born 22 March 1958) is a Turkish economist and energy expert, who has served as the executive director of the International Energy Agency (IEA) since 1 September 2015. During his time in charge of the IEA, he has taken a series of s ...
, executive director of the
International Energy Agency
The International Energy Agency (IEA) is a Paris-based autonomous intergovernmental organization, established in 1974, that provides policy recommendations, analysis and data on the global energy sector. The 31 member countries and 13 associatio ...
;
Jacques Nasser
Jacques Albert Nasser (Arabic: جاك نصر; born 12 December 1947) is a Lebanese Australian American business executive and philanthropist. Known for a management career at Ford Motor Company spanning several decades and continents, from 19 ...
, former president and CEO of
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company (commonly known as Ford) is an American multinational corporation, multinational automobile manufacturer headquartered in Dearborn, Michigan, United States. It was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. T ...
;
Richard N. Haass
Richard Nathan Haass (born July 28, 1951) is an American diplomat. He was president of the Council on Foreign Relations from July 2003 to June 2023, prior to which he was director of policy planning for the United States Department of State and ...
, president of the
Council on Foreign Relations
The Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) is an American think tank focused on Foreign policy of the United States, U.S. foreign policy and international relations. Founded in 1921, it is an independent and nonpartisan 501(c)(3) nonprofit organi ...
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the lower house, the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster in London, England. One of the oldest ext ...
. Other attendees include
Muhtar Kent
Ahmet Muhtar Kent (born December 1, 1952) is a Turkish-American business executive. He was the chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) of The Coca-Cola Company. He became CEO in 2008, and chairman in 2009, leaving those positions in 2016 and 2 ...
, former chairman and CEO of
Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola, or Coke, is a cola soft drink manufactured by the Coca-Cola Company. In 2013, Coke products were sold in over 200 countries and territories worldwide, with consumers drinking more than 1.8 billion company beverage servings ...
Rockefeller Brothers Fund
The Rockefeller Brothers Fund (RBF) is a philanthropic foundation created and run by members of the Rockefeller family. It was founded in New York City in 1940 as the primary philanthropic vehicle for the five third-generation Rockefeller brothe ...
Citigroup
Citigroup Inc. or Citi (Style (visual arts), stylized as citi) is an American multinational investment banking, investment bank and financial services company based in New York City. The company was formed in 1998 by the merger of Citicorp, t ...
;
Suzan Sabancı Dinçer Suzan may refer to:
* Suzan, Iran (disambiguation), several villages in Iran
* Sužan, Croatia
* Suzan, France
* The Suzan, a Japanese pop rock band
See also
*Susan (given name)
*Suzanne (disambiguation)
Suzanne may refer to:
People
* Suzann ...
, chairwoman and managing director of
Akbank
Akbank T.A.Ş. is one of the largest banks in Turkey. Founded in 1948, , Akbank reported a consolidated net profit of TL 60 billion 26 million. Listed on the Borsa Istanbul, its largest shareholders are members of the Sabancı family. Akbank s ...
;
Erdem Başçı
Erdem Başçı (born 1966) is a Turkish people, Turkish economist and the former Governor of the Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey in 2010s.
Early life
He was born in 1966 in Ankara. After finishing the high school at TED Ankara College in ...
, former governor of the
Central Bank of Turkey
The Central Bank of the Republic of Türkiye (CBRT) () is the central bank of Turkey. Its responsibilities include conducting monetary and exchange rate policy, managing international reserves of Turkey, as well as printing and issuing banknotes ...
;
Madeleine Albright
Madeleine Jana Korbel Albright (born Marie Jana Körbelová, later Korbelová; May 15, 1937 – March 23, 2022) was an American diplomat and political science, political scientist who served as the 64th United States Secretary of State, United S ...
, former
U.S. secretary of state
The United States secretary of state (SecState) is a member of the executive branch of the federal government of the United States and the head of the U.S. Department of State.
The secretary of state serves as the principal advisor to the p ...
Ahmet Üzümcü
Ahmet Üzümcü (born August 30, 1951) is a Turkish career diplomat, who previously served as the Director-General of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).
He graduated from Foreign Relations Department of the Faculty ...
, Vice-Chairman
*
Feride Acar
Feride Acar (born 1948) is a Turkish international expert on women and gender.
She was the founding chair of the Middle East Technical University's gender and women's studies program. Between 2003 and 2005 served as chair of the Committee on the ...
, Member
* Taşkın Osman Aksoy, Member
* Gülay Barbarosoğlu, Member
* Tayfun Bayazıt, Member
* Altuğ Bilgin, Member
* İpek Cem Taha, Member
*
Hikmet Çetin
Hikmet Çetin (born 10 August 1937) is a Turkish retired politician of Kurdish origin. He held various national posts during his career, including Foreign Affairs Minister (1991–1994) and Speaker of the Grand National Assembly (1997–1999). ...
, Member
* Ayşe Canan Ediboğlu, Member
* Gözde Küçük Adıyaman, Member
* Sibel Asna, Member
* Doğan Taşkent, Member
* Rona Yırcalı, Member
GRF Studies
GRF Task Forces
GRF Task Forces are independent commissions that strive to propose policy recommendations on matters that involve medium to long-term uncertainty.
Task Force members are diverse in professional backgrounds, experience and opinion but unite around the principles of consultation and search for common ground. Task Force members participate in the Task Force in their individual capacities; their views do not necessarily represent those of their institutions. GRF has undertaken various task forces focusing on critical global and regional topics. These include Turkey-USA relations, energy and climate change, Turkey’s approach to security in the 21st century, global trade and Turkey in the 21st century, the Middle East and North Africa, and the future of EU-Turkey relations.
Track II Studies
GRF Track-II Studies facilitate informal diplomacy by engaging high-level individuals from other countries in discussions aimed at advancing bilateral relations and addressing global issues. These initiatives seek to complement official dialogues by fostering civil society engagement, contributing to foreign policy development, and enhancing public diplomacy.
The studies focus on identifying areas of convergence and divergence between nations, promoting in-depth exchanges on shared challenges, and exploring innovative solutions to potential conflicts. Notable Track-II collaborations include the Ananta Aspen Center “''Turkey-India Forum''” and the
Carnegie Moscow Center
The Carnegie Moscow Center () was a Moscow-based think tank that focuses on domestic and foreign policy. It was established in 1994 as a regional affiliate of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. It was the number one think tank in Cen ...
“''Turkey-Russia Relations''.”
GRF Community
The GRF Community consists of individuals who have participated in one of GRF’s programs. The Young Fellows Program and Young Academics Program were established to provide participants with a platform to analyze and discuss global issues. The Young Fellows Program selects undergraduates from leading universities worldwide and top institutions in Istanbul.
The Young Academics Program is designed for young academics in the final year of their doctoral studies or those who have completed their Ph.D. within the past three years, either in Turkey or abroad. The Young Professionals Program is open to individuals under 38 years old who have at least four years of experience in private companies, public institutions, or NGOs. About GRF Young Professionals Program
Membership
GRF members are Turkish men and women who have assumed prominent roles in international fora and have received international recognition for their efforts throughout their careers.
Corporate membership is designed for globally engaged companies, that can contribute significantly to GRF's work.