Turkish think tanks are relatively new, but such

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 ...

s provide research and ideas, yet they play less important roles in policy-making when compared with American think tanks. Many of them are sister organizations of a political party or a company. There are very few university think tanks.

List

21st Century Turkey Institute
based in Ankara, undertakes research and projects on a large scale; from Turkish Foreign Policy to regional politics and geostrategy. * 3H Movement is a liberal think tank and a young organization centered in Istanbul.
Ankara Center for Crisis and Policy Studies (ANKASAM)

Ankara Strategy Institute
is an Ankara-based independent think-tank organization established in 2011. It is distinguished from other think-tank organizations in Turkey with its analysts being all academicians. * Institute of Turkish Studies *

Center for Middle Eastern Strategic Studies The Center for Middle Eastern Studies (), also known as ORSAM, is a non-profit, non-partisan think tank in Ankara, Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively ...

* Association for Liberal Thinking is a libertarian think-tank centered in Ankara. * Atatürkist Thought Association * Association for the Support of Contemporary Life
Bahcesehir University Center for Economic and Social Research (Betam)
was founded with the goal of establishing a tradition rooted in scientific research, and of becoming a universally accepted research platform. Betam consists of two main units. In the Economic Research Unit, it focuses on the research and development of economic policy in Turkey and abroad from a comparative perspective. In the Social Sciences Research Unit, it concentrates on the cultural, social and political structure of Turkey and its international relations.
Centre for Alternative Policies (APM)
(). Based in

Ankara Ankara is the capital city of Turkey and List of national capitals by area, the largest capital by area in the world. Located in the Central Anatolia Region, central part of Anatolia, the city has a population of 5,290,822 in its urban center ( ...

, Turkey. Undertakes research and projects on economic and foreign policy and

good governance Good governance is the process of measuring how public institutions conduct public affairs and manage public resources and guarantee the realization of human rights in a manner essentially free of abuse and corruption and with due regard for t ...

. * Center for Eurasian Strategic Studies (ASAM) (). The first known think-tank in Turkey. It has close ties to Turkish diplomacy, and it is the parent organisation of the Institute for Armenian Research (EREN).
Centre for Policy and Research on Turkey (Research Turkey)
Established in 2012 in London, United Kingdom.
Center for Strategic Communication (STRATIM)
is an independent think tank founded in 2008 working on Turkish and regional foreign policy issues. Since 2009, STRATIM has organise
The Istanbul Forum
* Center for Turkey's Economic and Strategic Studies (TESAM) is an independent think tank, established in 2008. Undertakes research and projects on Turkey's history, international relations, strategy and foreign policy as well as economic and cultural issues. * DergiPark It is a website that provides free hosting and publishing services for academic and refereed journals in Turkey in electronic environment since 2013, by ULAKBİM, a subsidiary of

TÜBİTAK The Scientific and Technological Research Institution of Turkey (, TÜBİTAK) is a national agency of Turkey whose stated goal is to develop "science, technology and innovation" (STI) policies, support and conduct research and development, and to ...

. * The Center for Turkish Studies is the "Zentrum für Turkeistudien" where multidisciplinary expertise in business, culture, economics, foreign affairs, history, language, national security, politics, religion, sociology and sustainable development brings about a comprehensive study of the Turkic region. CTS places higher education on the cutting edge with policy implementation and public service.
Education Reform Initiative (ERI)
() was launched within Sabancı University in 2003 with the aim of improving education policy and decision-making through research, advocacy, and training. ERI mobilizes a wide range of stakeholders in participatory education policy processes in pursuit of its mission of “quality education for all”. Education Reform Initiative was ranked in The 2013 Global Go To Think Tank Index. *

Foreign Policy Institute The Foreign Policy Institute ( or ''DPE'') is a Turkish think tank on foreign policy and international relations. It was founded in 1974. The Foreign Policy Institute is the first ever think tank formed in Turkey. The founder and the first pre ...

* Freedom Research Association is an Ankara-based policy think tank with a mission to help consolidate liberal institutions in Turkey. Recently founded, the think tank brings together distinguished political scientists, legal scholars and journalists to publish original research and make an impact on public policy.
Global Policy and Strategy
is a non-profit organisation and an independent think tank that conducts scholarly research and analyses, together with delivery of training and consultancy services. * Global Political Trends Center also known as GPoT Center is a liberal research unit at Istanbul Kultur University. * Istanbul Policy Center (IPC) is a political and economic think tank in Istanbul affiliated with Sabancı University. It has multiple projects and has broad focuses on climate change, democratization, education, EU relations, US relations, and Middle East relations. * Istanbul Institute of Political Strategy. Established in 2022, dedicated to conducting research in political theory, national security, international relations, and ideology research. * Institute for Armenian Research (EREN) (). Privately-funded organisation, created by the Center for Eurasian Strategic Studies (ASAM). * International Strategic Research Organization (USAK) is an Ankara-based liberal think-tank established in 2004. An umbrella organization with 9 research centres, it has close ties with Turkish diplomacy, military, and political circles. It is sponsored by the business world and member donations. Milli Görüş Vakfı is a centre-right foundation with academic personnel: Oğuzhan Asiltürk, Mehmet Recai Kutan, Temel Karamollaoğlu, İlyas Tongüç, Salih Turhan, Hamdi Sürücü, İbrahim Nedim Titiz, Tacettin Çetinkaya, and Atik Ağdağ. Dr. Karin Yeşilada was appointed to the Board of Educators. Yeşilada is a full-time lecturer for intercultural literary studies and taught at Universities in Marburg, Istanbul, Cologne, Munich, Paderborn and Bochum. In the past Karin was lecturer for the German Academic Exchange Service at Marmara University. The Milli Görüş Movement (or the "National Vision Foundation") is active in nearly all European countries and also countries like Australia, Canada and the United States. * S.E.S.A.R. (). Implicated in the

Ergenekon investigation Ergenekon () was the name given to an alleged clandestine, secular ultra-nationalist organization in Turkey with possible ties to members of the country's military and security forces. The would-be group, named after Ergenekon, a mythical place l ...

, with its chief, İsmail Yıldız, jailed.
SETAM - Center for Strategic Economic Social Research
Established in 2010. *

SETA In biology, setae (; seta ; ) are any of a number of different bristle- or hair-like structures on living organisms. Animal setae Protostomes Depending partly on their form and function, protostome setae may be called macrotrichia, chaetae, ...

is a conservative policy think-tank based in Ankara. Close to the government. Established in 2006.
Strategic Outlook
Konya-based think tank. Established in 2011.
Turkish Asian Center for Strategic Studies (TACSS)
* T.A.S.A.M. is Istanbul-centred and nationalist. *

Turkish Economic and Social Studies Foundation The Turkish Economic and Social Studies Foundation (, TESEV), based in Istanbul, is Turkey's leading think tank. The Turkish Economic and Social Studies Foundation (TESEV) is an independent non-governmental think-tank, analyzing social, political ...

(T.E.S.E.V.) is a liberal research centre in Istanbul. Close to the business circles, yet less effective in political circles.
Turkish Think Tank (TTT)
Making sense of Turkey for non-Turkish audiences
Economic Policy Research Foundation of Turkey
(TEPAV) is a liberal research centre based in Ankara. Close to business circles, particularly chambers of commerce. Undertakes research and projects on economic and foreign policy and good governance.
T.U.R.A.N.S.A.M.
is a Konya-centred right-wing nationalist think-tank, established in 2007. It defends Turkish Nationalism and Turanian Ideological Holy Union of World Turks. Close to the military and National Action Party's ideologies. Radical Islamic(What does Radical Islamic mean??) and Turkish Nationalist Think-Thank Organisation, NGO, Thought Producer Organisation. Founder President is Dr. Elnur Hasan MIKAIL (Ph.D. in History), he's also an Expert in an International Relations with the M. Sc. Degree in IR branch, born in old Sovietski street-Yasamal, Baku city, Republic of Azerbaijan. He immigrated to Turkey when he was 18 years old and since that date he lives in Turkey. He's a writer of 4 scientific books one of them written in English.
Turkish Centre for International Relations & Strategic Analysis
(TURKSAM). Ankara-centred nationalist think tank, established in 2004. Close to the military and Nationalist Action Party circles. * T.U.S.A.M. is Ankara-centred. Leftist nationalist. Close to the ultra-nationalist military circles. Following Turkish Foreign policy vectors and priorities, these centers cooperate with the Balkans, Central Asia and Middle East Think-Tanks. SETA and SDE are involved in the “ThinkTank cooperation” project implemented by the government program, which is conducted by Turks Abroad governmental body coordinating the activity of Turkish diaspora and the Associated Societies state department. TASAM also conducts some steps in this direction with the support of Turkish Foreign Affairs Ministry. According to Nuh Yilmaz, executive of SETA’s Washington office, they are funded by businessman, who are in trade with the Balkans and Middle East countries. In recent years, issues on media, science, education, human rights, Turkish diaspora, security and defense are in the focus of the center’s research. Arestakes Simavoryan On some of the Issues of Expertise Centers in Turkey. Orbeli Center, February 12, 2019 * Turk DEGS is a strategy centre operating in the field of international relations, international law and maritime studies. The centre defines its goal as "identifying, defending and developing Turkey's rights and interests within the framework of international law".
USTAD - International Strategic Analysis and Research Center
Mardin-centred democratic-liberal think tank, established in 2011.
Wise Men Center for Strategic Studies (BİLGESAM)
Established in 2008, the Wise Men Center for Strategic Studies (BILGESAM) is one of the leading think tanks in Turkey. As a non-profit, non-partisan organization BILGESAM operates under the guidance of a group of well-respected academics from different disciplines, retired military generals and diplomats; and aims to contribute regional and global peace and prosperity. Closely following the domestic and international developments, BİLGESAM conducts research on Turkey's domestic problems, foreign policy and security strategies, and the developments in neighboring regions to provide the Turkish decision-makers with practical policy recommendations and policy options.
TEDMEM
was established in 2012 as a part of the Turkish Education Association (Türk Eğitim Derneği). TEDMEM is a think-tank, aspiring to provide evidence-based research data, and produce new ideas and publications proactively.

List

References

Further reading