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News

2019

Between 3rd and 8th of September 2019, DPI carried out a comparative study visit (CSV) in conjunction with The School of Religion, Trinity College Dublin and hosted by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Ireland. This CSV discussed for the first time the role of religious leaders in peace and reconciliation. The aim of the CSV was to bring together a group of religious figures, academics and theologians from diverse communities, ethnic and political backgrounds in order to learn about the role of religious leaders in peace process in Northern Ireland. The first two days in Dublin included a visit to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, who kindly acted as our hosts for this activity, and to Trinity College Dublin. This was followed by a three-day visit to Belfast, which allowed participants to understand the past and current situation in Northern Ireland, through their engagements with speakers and meeting with former political prisoners from all sides of the conflict. During the course of the visit, participants engaged first-hand with religious leaders and figures who were and still are involved in the peace and reconciliation process in Northern Ireland. The group heard invaluable accounts of their expertise and experiences of The Troubles and engaged in a rich discussion on the role individual religious leaders played before, during and after the peace process in Northern Ireland. Through these series of meetings and sessions, participants were exposed to the successes, as well as failures of religious leaders and institutions to promote peace and reconciliation. These experiences gave the group a valuable insight into the challenges and lessons learnt from Northern Ireland peace process. The CSV was part of the project ‘Supporting inclusive dialogue at a challenging time in Turkey’, supported by the EU and the Irish, Dutch and Norwegian governments. A full transcript report of the meetings that took place as part of this visit is forthcoming. Please refer to the gallery section of the website for photos of the events and to ‘In the media’ for media coverage.
On 9-12th July 2019, Democratic Progress Institute held a roundtable meeting in Brussels with many former members of Turkey’s Wise Persons’ Committee. Kerim Yildiz, CEO of DPI, opened the meeting and outlined its objectives - to examine the key lessons that could be learnt from the experiences gained as part of the WPC as well as looking ahead to the potential challenges and opportunities for a possible future resumption of the resolution process. Additional discussion focused on the role of the EU in resolution and democratisation processes and participants heard from speaker Mihaela Matei from the European External Action Service on this topic. Discussion - which involved other EU representatives Eva Horelova, Head of Political Section, Delegation of the European Union to Turkey, Ankara, Bernard Brunet, Head of Unit, Relations with Turkey, European Commission and James Rizzo, Policy Officer, Relations with Turkey, European Commission - outlined the multi-tack approach to peace and resolution processes employed by the EU. They highlighted the importance of engaging civil society as well as political actors to ensure inclusive and sustainable outcomes. Looking back at their experiences in the WPC, participants discussed the successes and failures of this previous process. They noted that whilst the attitude of the general public was ripe for peace, the necessary planning and preparation was not in place, meaning the mechanisms required for a successful resolution process were lacking. It was with this insight that they looked ahead noting, in particular, the need for the promotion of peace language - ‘positive language for a positive solution’ - as well as ensuring any future resolution process is an inclusive one that has the complete support of all parties. Participants included intellectuals and public figures from a range of political, professional backgrounds and hailing from, or with knowledge of or connections to, different regions of Turkey. We were also delighted to be joined by Roland Salvisburg, Head of the Peace Policy Bureau for Europe and Asia, Mediation and Democratization, Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs. The CSV was part of the project ‘Supporting inclusive dialogue at a challenging time in Turkey’, supported by the EU and the Irish, Dutch and Norwegian governments. A full transcript report of the meetings that took place as part of this visit is forthcoming. Please refer to the gallery section of the website for photos of the events and to ‘In the media’ for media coverage.
Between the 9th and 16th of June 2019, DPI carried out a comparative study visit (CSV) in partnership with South African-based organisation In Transformation Initiative (ITI) on the theme "Bringing a process back on track: Lessons Learnt from the South Africa experience". The purpose of the visit was to provide a diverse group of influencers from Turkey the opportunity to learn from the experiences of the negotiations to end Apartheid in South Africa. The study visit, which took the participants to Johannesburg, Pretoria and Cape Town, provided access to key protagonists of the period leading up to the negotiations, the negotiations themselves and the resulting state of post-apartheid South Africa. Participants engaged with the first-hand experiences of these actors, from each major political standpoint, who played significant roles in the conflict resolution process and continue to play important roles today. Through these carefully planned series of meetings, participants were exposed to the major challenges and successes encountered during the peace process spearheaded by F. W. de Klerk and Nelson Mandela respectively. The experiences shared with the group led to insightful lessons being learnt and a deeper understanding of conflict resolution processes being forged.   The event, as well as providing an overview of the process in South Africa, examined many different key themes. Discussion focussed on conditions that enable negotiations to begin - dubbed ‘talks before talks’. The architecture of the South African peace process was also explored whereby participants heard about who was involved and how they engaged with each other. The role of media and security structures in the peace process was examined in separate sessions. An overarching theme of the CSV was to look at keeping the process going during difficult times - a particular focus here was given to the breakdown period and subsequent resumption of the negotiations between the African National Congress and the National Party. Participants also engaged with speakers on the subject of drafting a new South African Constitution and Bill of Rights which would safeguard individual rights on an equal basis for all. Finally participants discussed the Truth and Reconciliation Commission that was set up in the wake of apartheid as a means of seeking justice for all victims of the conflict.   The participants were hosted by ITI Directors Roelf Meyer, former Chief Negotiator for the government; Mohammed Bhabha, ANC negotiator and former Member of Parliament; ANC's Ebrahim Ebrahim, former Deputy Minister of International Relations and Cooperation; and Ivor Jenkins, former Managing Director, The Institute for a Democratic Alternative for South Africa. Other speakers that addressed the group to share their experiences included Former Minister of Safety and Security Sydney Mufamadi; journalists Peter Fabricius and Liesl Louw-Vaudran; former Research and Analysis Manager Nel Marais of the South African Secret Service; Dr Michael Sutcliff, former Chair of the Municipal Demarcation Board; Mathews Phosa, former Premier of Mpumalanga and former Member, National Executive Committee, African National Congress; High Court of South Africa judge Jody Kollapen; former Executive Director of the Institute for Justice and Reconciliation, Fanie du Toit; Kraai van Niekerk, former Minister of Agriculture; Yunus Carrim, former Deputy Minister of Communications; former judge on the Constitutional Court of South Africa, Albie Sachs; and former Deputy Minister for Justice and Constitutional Development, Johnny de Lange. Additionally, participants were hosted by the Turkish Ambassador to South Africa at her residence in Pretoria and accompanied by former political prisoner Ebrahim Ebrahim on their visit to Robben Island.   The CSV was part of the project ‘Supporting inclusive dialogue at a challenging time in Turkey’, supported by the EU and the Irish, Dutch and Norwegian governments. A full transcript report of the meetings that took place as part of this visit is forthcoming. Please refer to the gallery section of the website for photos of the events and to ‘In the media’ for media coverage.  
22/03/2019 On 9th March 2019, in a follow up to DPI’s August 2018 Youth engagement in conflict resolution processes CSV to Dublin and Belfast, the participants from Tenzile Erdoğan Anatolian Imam Hatip High School organized a meeting on Conflict Resolution during which they shared their reflections on the CSV and the role of youth in the Northern Ireland conflict resolution process. The session was part of the Technology and Society Congress organized by TEGRVHS and was supported by DPI as well as the Uskudar Municipality, Imam Hatip High School Association (ONDER) and Ministry of Education. The Congress welcomed students from a range of high schools across Turkey. The outcomes of DPI’s Youth Engagement CSV were therefore shared with a large group of students with diverse backgrounds. Headteacher of the School and DPI’s Council of Experts Member, Prof. Aşkın Asan, took part in the activity which saw the Tenzile Erdoğan Girls Religious High School’s students share a sign at the end of the session thanking DPI for their support. Please see the link below for more information about the event: https://www.tekaihlultek.com/calistaylarimiz
11/03/2019 On 3-7 March, DPI carried out the latest in its series of youth engagement activities, this time a comparative study visit entitled ‘Youth Engagement in Conflict Resolution Processes’. A group of Turkish youth, aged 18-35, came from all strata of professional and political society from across Turkish society (including Ankara, İstanbul, Mardin, Diyarbakır and Zonguldak), including political party’s youth representatives, civil society workers, high school and university students, journalists and social workers. The carefully planned programme was designed to further expose participants to cases of meaningful youth involvement in conflict resolution. Indeed, the trip began in London, at DPI’s office as we took a deeper look at United Nations Security Council Resolution 2250 – which is the driving force behind increasing the participation of young people in peace processes. The group were subsequently hosted by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. As well as hearing about their burgeoning Youth, Peace and Security programme, DPI’s participants were given insightful introductions into the theme of devolution, particularly the Welsh case, which is something we would go into greater detail during the rest of the CSV. As the group moved to Cardiff, participants engaged in fruitful discussion on the history of power-sharing in Wales, including the importance of the Welsh language. Through a visit to the Senedd (National Assembly for Wales), participants were immersed in the modern traditions and practices of Welsh devolution as well as hearing about the recent formation of a youth parliament in Wales. Participants also visited the office of Urdd Gobaith Cyrmu, Wales’ largest youth organisation, to hear how young people in Wales are being engaged, through the Welsh language, in projects both within and outside Wales. This CSV gave participants the opportunity to engage in discussion with key actors in the Welsh devolution story – including civil servants, Assembly Members and civil society. By studying the Welsh case comparatively, DPI’s youth group focused on the role of young people in bringing about the power-sharing and language structures in place in Wales today as well as looking at the impact that UN SCR 2250 is having on the field of conflict resolution more generally. The CSV forms part of a larger series of activities planned in the context of the project: “Supporting inclusive dialogue at a challenging time in Turkey”. Future activities include ongoing roundtable meetings and comparative study visits planned within Turkey and other parts of the world, including countries that have had peace processes.
14/01/2019 Barış inşasında başarılı bir yönetime ihtiyaç vardır. Çatışma dönemlerinde bile düşmanı insan olmaktan çıkarmamak, şeytanlaştırmamak gerekiyor. Article by Prof. Dr. Sevtap Yokuş “Çatışma Döneminden Barışa Dönük Süreçlere Geçiş Olanakları” January 2019
14/01/2019 Article by Zehra Kafkaslı. Her iki tarafın da kendini anlatma ihtiyacı, çatışma çözümlerinde hayati. Burada siyaseten kimin haklıolduğu biraz geride kalması gereken bir konu haline geliyor. Both sides need to express themselves vitally in resolving conflicts. Who’s political right here it is an issue that should be left behind. Düşmanı Dinlemekle Başlar
11/01/2019 DPI held its first activity of 2019 on 8-10th January. Entitled ‘Peace and the Economy’, this roundtable meeting was organised in cooperation with the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) Institute of Global Affairs and was attended by a small diverse group of Turkey’s prominent business people and organisations, including company CEO’s and heads of business associations. Following on from a 2017 comparative study visit to Northern Ireland on this topic, the meeting, provided participants with an opportunity to discuss the links between peace, stability and economic growth and what role the private sector can play in conflict resolution processes. The event began with a warm welcome from Kerim Yildiz, DPI’s CEO, Erik Berglof, Director of LSE’s Institute of Global Affairs and Nick Stewart, Chairman of DPI. An introductory session with LSE’s Mary Martin (Senior Research Fellow, LSE Ideas) and Vesna Bojicic-Dzelilovic (Senior Research Fellow Department of International Relations), focused on modern ways in which the private sector can be positively engaged in conflict resolution. Dan O’Brien, Chief Economist at the Institute of International and European Affairs, then provided an insightful examination of what connections that can be drawn between peace, stability and economic growth using data from country case studies around the world. The discussion went on to focus on the Northern Ireland case with Dermot Ahern, former Irish Minister of Foreign Affairs, sharing his first-hand experiences of the Northern Ireland peace process and the economic impacts brought about by the resolution of The Troubles. The final session saw Dr Esmond Birnie, Senior Economist at the Centre for Economic Policy at Ulster University analyse the links drawn between political stability and the economy from the Northern Ireland example and highlight the lessons that can be learnt from this resolution process. Participants engaged in fruitful discussion over the course of the event which culminated with an evaluation session. This roundtable was part of a series of activities planned in the context of the project: ‘Supporting inclusive dialogue at a challenging time in Turkey’, supported by the EU and the Irish, Netherlands and Norwegian governments. A full transcript report from this meeting will be produced and made available on the website.

2018

21/12/2018 On 18 December 2018, DPI held a roundtable meeting on ‘The role of Women in Conflict Resolution: Reflecting on the Turkish experience’ as part of DPI’s conflict resolution series focused on women’s contributions to sustaining dialogue and maintaining efforts to build peace, even in the most challenging times. The meeting was attended by a diverse female group of political and civil society actors from different regions and representing the broad spectrum of different political affiliations in Turkey including elected representatives and members of political parties, heads and representatives of human rights organisations, lawyers, businesswomen, media professionals and academics. While previous DPI meetings on this topic have focused on the sharing of international experiences which can provide lessons and insights of relevance to Turkey, this roundtable for the first time provided participants with a forum to discuss women’s role in conflict resolution in direct relation to the situation in Turkey. Participants reflected on Turkish women’s past contributions to the now ‘parked’ resolution process and broader democratisation and peacebuilding processes, as well as the challenges and obstacles faced, how they have been addressed and what more could have been done. Participants also considered how lessons learnt from past experiences can be applied when evaluating the current situation in the country and considering what can be done now to support continuing dialogue and promote conflict resolution and democratisation in Turkey. The meeting provided a valuable platform for this group of diverse, committed and influential women to engage in an open and frank discussion about past experiences and current possibilities and to explore commonalities as the basis for identifying concrete opportunities to work together to strengthen women’s role in conflict resolution in Turkey. 
This roundtable was part of a series of activities planned in the context of the project: ‘Supporting inclusive dialogue at a challenging time in Turkey’, supported by the EU and the Irish, Netherlands and Norwegian governments.
30/11/2018 From 22-24 November 2018, DPI held a roundtable meeting, as planned, with former members of Turkey’s Wise Person’s Committee (WPC) to reflect on the Turkish solution process, particularly in the light of the their own experiences and contributions as members of the WPC. The meeting, which was kindly hosted by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, was also attended by members of DPI’s Council of Experts. The meeting provided a platform for participants to review and assess the role and impact of the WPC – its achievements, as well as shortcomings and challenges – and draw out lessons learnt for consideration in the current context in Turkey.    The event has been widely covered in Turkish media by both newspapers and TV channels. Please refer to the section ‘In the Media’ on this website for links to various news sources. This roundtable was part of a series of activities planned in the context of the project: ‘Supporting inclusive dialogue at a challenging time in Turkey’, supported by the EU and the Irish, Netherlands and Norwegian governments.
The ‘Role of Media in Conflict Resolution’ DPI roundtable in Dublin and Belfast on the 16-19 October 2018 inspired some other civil society activities. Nayat Karaköse, who is Programme Coordinator at the Hrant Dink Foundation, had taken part in the roundtable. The Hrant Dink Foundation subsequently organised an event to which they invited Martin McMullan (Assistant Director, YouthAction Northern Ireland) to Istanbul. In this way, the interactions occurring through the DPI roundtable gave rise to impacts on other NGOs work. You can read more in relation to the Hrank Dink Foundation event on their site.
23/10/2018 On 16th October 2018, DPI brought a diverse group of members of the mainstream and alternative Turkish media to Dublin and Belfast to examine the role and place of the media in conflict resolution. Following on from our April meeting of the same theme, this roundtable provided a timely opportunity for participants to discuss ways in which the media can contribute to the advancement of democratic and peaceful dialogue in resolution processes. On the 17th October, following an introduction and welcome from DPI CEO Kerim Yildiz, we were delighted to be joined by Aine Hearns, Director of their Conflict Resolution Unit from the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, who kindly acted as our hosts for this activity. Aine addressed the group, providing them with a concise outline of the multifaceted work of the Conflict Resolution Unit as well as highlighting the evolution of the media since the signing of the Good Friday Agreement. We then heard from Maria Alejandra Villamizar Maldonado, Journalist, Conversa Colombia Foundation & former adviser to the Presidency for the pedagogy of peace. Drawing from her vast experience working as both a journalist and adviser to three different Colombian governments, Maria discussed what she saw to be the successes and failures of the media during the Colombian peace process, particularly focussing on the challenges of impartial reporting and the power of language in framing the peace process in the eyes of the public. The following session brought our attention back to the Northern Ireland case with speaker Derek Mooney, Communications Consultant and Former Irish Government Adviser (2004-2010), who has also been heavily involved in civil society. Derek shared with participants some of the key aspects of media-governmental communication during the Northern Irish peace process. Our final speaker, Danny Morrison, writer, political commentator & former national director of publicity, Sinn Féin, shared his first-hand experiences of interacting with the media during The Troubles. The Northern Irish example sparked insightful and fruitful discussion on topics such as journalistic principles, levels of media access to peace negotiations and the impact of the international, as well as local, media. Following this meeting, on the 18th October, participants travelled to Belfast where they met with former political prisoners from the republican and loyalist communities, as well as an ex-British soldier. The group heard invaluable accounts of their experiences of The Troubles and engaged in a rich discussion on the impact of the divided communities on Belfast both before, during and after the peace process in Northern Ireland. This was further enhanced by going out and about to see the peace walls along the Falls and Shankhill roads that act as a visible reminder of these divides. This roundtable was part of a series of activities planned in the context of the project: ‘Supporting inclusive dialogue at a challenging time in Turkey’, supported by the EU and the Irish, Netherlands and Norwegian governments. A full transcript report from this meeting will be produced and made available on the website.
02/10/2018 Supporting inclusive dialogue at a challenging time in Turkey Lessons Learnt from International Experiences of Conflict Resolution Ankara, 28-30 September 2018 On 29 September, DPI held a roundtable meeting on ‘Lessons learnt from international experiences in conflict resolution’ in Ankara, Turkey.  The meeting brought together a diverse group of more than 50 participants including politicians and policy-makers, civil society actors, academics and journalists, to discuss experiences from peace and transition processes around the world, which offer useful and relevant examples of principles, models and approaches that can guide conflict resolution and democratic advancement. The meeting provided a timely opportunity to review and refresh memories and understanding of the benefits of peace and the nature of peace-making processes. It also served as reminder of the importance of preserving the foundations for inclusive dialogue between different parties and different groups in society even in the most challenging times. Participants had the opportunity to discuss challenges, opportunities and lessons learnt with prominent international experts who shared insights and valuable policy and civil society perspectives from their own direct experience of making and sustaining peace in international cases. The meeting drew in particular on the South African and Philippines examples, with an emphasis on identifying and addressing obstacles to the resumption of a process where it has stalled or is ‘parked’, as well as entry points for getting a process back on track. Following an introductory session in which DPI’s Deputy Director outlined the aims of the meeting, our first speaker, Sir Kieran Prendergast former UN Under-Secretary General for Political Affairs and former British Ambassador to Turkey, highlighted some key principles and lessons of conflict management and resolution drawing on his own experience in a wide range of past and current conflict situations worldwide. There followed a session on the Mindanao peace process in the Philippines in which Mr David Gorman, Eurasia Director from the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue, shared invaluable insider knowledge of how to get a process back on track from a third-party perspective. Having served in Government as presidential advisor on the peace process and also been involved in every civil society effort to build peace in the Philippines since the 1980s, Ms Teresita Quintos-Deles then provided an invaluable dual perspective on the Philippines process, which stimulated a lively discussion on themes including public engagement, youth and women’s participation. The third and final session welcomed Mr Roelf Meyer who drew on his experience as Chief Negotiator for the South African Government in the process that eventually led to a new constitution and the end of apartheid in South Africa. Participants benefitted from a rich presentation which illustrated how behind the scenes talks between himself and Cyril Ramphosa (now South Africa’s President) saved the process following a breakdown in negotiations and resurgence in violence. In her concluding remarks Prof. Dr. Sevtap Yokus drew on lessons from the day to propose that participants: ‘Don’t wait for right time, rather be prepared for when the time comes.’ The roundtable was part of the project ‘Supporting inclusive dialogue at a challenging time in Turkey’, supported by the EU and the Irish, Dutch and Norwegian governments. A full transcript report of this visit is forthcoming and will be available on the website in due course. Please refer to the gallery section of the website for photos of the events and to ‘In the media’ for media coverage.  Moderator Ali Bayramoglu with speaker Sir Kieran Prendergast, former UN Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs and former British Ambassador to Turkey Speakers David Gorman (Eurasia Director, Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue) and Teresita Quintos Deles (Former Presidential Advisor on the Philippines Peace Process) Roelf Meyer, former Chief Negotiator for the South African Government
30/08/2018 On 8 August 2018, the Democratic Progress Institute invited two experts, Prof Dr. Vahap Coşkun and Mr Ferda Balancar, to present the post-election situation in Turkey during an informal meeting held at the DPI London office. Participants included lawyers, academics, policy makers and international conflict resolution practitioners. Prof Dr. Coşkun, Professor of Law at University of Dicle, spoke about the constitutional aspects of the new presidential system of government in Turkey, assessing its implications for democratisation and conflict resolution. Mr Balancar, Editor in Chief of Armenian Weekly Agos, presented his assessment of the political landscape in Turkey following the 24 June 2018 elections with a focus on new actors likely to emerge within the context of possible developments relating to a resolution process.   The presenters spoke about the changes and possible implications of the new presidential system, domestically and regionally. A productive discussion followed, during which participants were able to comment, respond and ask questions to the speakers. Kerim Yildiz, Prof Dr. Vahap Coşkun and Mr Ferda Balancar during the presentation.
30/08/2018 On 8 August 2018, the Democratic Progress Institute invited two experts, Prof Dr. Vahap Coşkun and Mr Ferda Balancar, to present the post-election situation in Turkey during an informal meeting held at the DPI London office. Participants included lawyers, academics, policy makers and international conflict resolution practitioners. Prof Dr. Coşkun, Professor of Law at University of Dicle, spoke about the constitutional aspects of the new presidential system of government in Turkey, assessing its implications for democratisation and conflict resolution. Mr Balancar, Editor in Chief of Armenian Weekly Agos, presented his assessment of the political landscape in Turkey following the 24 June 2018 elections with a focus on new actors likely to emerge within the context of possible developments relating to a resolution process. The presenters spoke about the changes and possible implications of the new presidential system, domestically and regionally. A productive discussion followed, during which participants were able to comment, respond and ask questions to the speakers.
07/08/2018 From 1-5 August 2018, the Democratic Progress Institute carried out a Comparative Study Visit to Ireland and Northern Ireland that brought together a group of young participants from across Turkey’s many constituencies. Participants were exposed to the experiences of the Northern Ireland conflict and peace process through a carefully designed programme that introduced concepts and practices of resolution processes as well as providing a platform to discuss the positive contribution that youth specifically can make to such processes. This meeting brought together mostly young figures with diverse professional and political backgrounds from across Turkey including political party’s youth representatives from AK Party, CHP and HDP, civil society workers, high school and university students, journalists and social workers. DPI’s first ever youth group benefitted from an introduction to the Northern Ireland conflict from Prof. David Mitchell from the Irish School of Ecumenics at Trinity College before an engaging session with the Aine Hearns, Director of the Conflict Resolution Unit and Eoghan Duffy, Ireland, United Kingdom, and Americas Divison at the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs. This was followed by a lively programme designed and delivered by Pat Hynes and colleagues at the Glencree Centre for Peace and Reconciliation providing a comprehensive overview and in-depth analysis of the origins and dynamics of the conflict and eventual peace process in Northern Ireland. In Belfast, highlights of the CSV programme included an interactive session at Youth Action, with Deputy Director Martin McMullan involving young people and youth workers from Northern Ireland, as well as a tour of the interface areas in Belfast, which was followed by a meeting with former political prisoners from all sides of the conflict.  Participants were also delighted to be welcomed at Stormont Castle, the home of the Northern Ireland Executive office, and at the Northern Ireland Office at Stormont House. In addition, participants had the chance to discuss the role of women in the Northern Ireland peace process with a founding member of the Northern Ireland Women’s Coalition Avila Kilmurray and reflect on concepts of shared societies and social inclusion with independent consultant Clem McCartney. This CSV fully immersed participants in the experiences of the peace process that took place in Northern Ireland. It allowed them the opportunity interact with key actors from that process but also with those involved in overcoming the lasting effects of the conflict in modern-day Northern Ireland. Our particular focus on youth highlighted the increasing attention given to young people and their ability to act as agents of change amongst divided societies. This was the first meeting centred on youth engagement in conflict resolution process hosted by DPI with future activities forthcoming to build upon the discussions and topics of this seminal visit. The visit was hosted with the kind facilitation of the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. The CSV forms part of a larger series of activities planned in the context of the project: “Supporting inclusive dialogue at a challenging time in Turkey”. Future activities include ongoing roundtable meetings and comparative study visits planned within Turkey and other parts of the world, including countries that have had peace processes. A number of articles have been written regarding this CSV before and after the activity: Tenzile Erdoğan İmam Hatip Lisesi öğrencileri İrlanda’da Yeni Akit – 6 August 2018 İHL öğrencileri İrlanda’da çalışmaya katıldı Star Gazetesi – 6 August 2018 İmam hatip öğrencileri çalıştaya katıldı Haber7 – 6 August 2018 İHL Öğrencileri İrlanda’da Çalışmaya Katıldı Haberler.com – 6 August 2018 Tenzile Erdoğan İmam Hatip Lisesi öğrencileri İrlanda’da 4Haber – 6 August 2018 İmam Hatip Öğrencileri İrlanda’da Uluslararası Çalışmaya Katılacak Beyaz Gazete – 20 July 2018 İmam hatip öğrencileri İrlanda’da uluslararası çalışmaya katılacak Haberturk – 20 July 2018 TENZİLE ERDOĞAN KAİHL ÖĞRENCİLERİ İRLANDA’DA ULUSLAR ARASI ÇALIŞTAY’A KATILACAK T.C. MİLLÎ EĞİTİM BAKANLIĞI – 20 July 2018 İmam hatip öğrencileri İrlanda’da uluslararası çalışmaya katılacak Posta – 20 July 2018
30/05/2018 From May 24-27, DPI held a comparative study visit (CSV) in Oslo, Norway, to discuss ways to engage with the general public to encourage and enhance their support for resolution processes. Drawing on comparative practice, the event provided a platform for former members of Turkey’s Wise Peoples Committee (WPC) – set up by then Prime Minister Erdoğan in 2013 and tasked with raising public awareness and understanding of the resolution process – to explore different models of engagement. Participants included intellectuals and public figures from a range of political, professional backgrounds and hailing from, or with knowledge of or connections to, different regions of Turkey. International expert speakers shared their knowledge and first-hand experiences of mechanisms and approaches that have been used to raise awareness, educate, encourage interest and a more positive approach, and support active engagement in conflict resolution and transition processes among the general public in the Philippines, Colombia, and South Africa. Speakers included Roelf Meyer, former Chief Negotiator for the South African Government, as well as Dag Nylander and Idun Tvedt from the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who drew on their experience as key players in Norway’s facilitation in the Colombian peace process. Participants also benefitted from the invaluable insights provided by Teresita Quintos Deles, former Presidential Advisor on the Philippines Peace Process and David Gorman from the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue, which was a member of the International Contact Group in the Philippines. Participants also discussed and analysed their own lessons learnt from their experience as members of the WPC with insightful inputs from experts from the EU, experts on conflict resolution and speakers. The CSV was part of the project ‘Supporting inclusive dialogue at a challenging time in Turkey’, supported by the EU and the Irish, Dutch and Norwegian governments. DPI would like to extend its thanks to the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs for their kind support and assistance in organising and hosting this event. A full transcript report of the meetings that took place as part of this visit is forthcoming. Please refer to the gallery section of the website for photos of the events and to ‘In the media’ for media coverage.   Participants and speakers during the CSV meeting
16/05/2018 This assessment prepared for DPI by prominent writer, columnist and former Wise Persons’ Committee Member, Ali Bayramoğlu, explores the internal and external dimensions of the current political situation in Turkey and assesses the country’s direction and likely scenarios in terms of its political order and foreign policy. The paper contributes to DPI’s ongoing evaluation of the situation in Turkey which takes into account different views and perspectives, at a time of significant political change, both externally and internally, and not least in the run-up to elections in June 2018. The views and opinions expressed in the assessment are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official position of DPI. Download here [English and Turkish]
01/05/2018 Supporting Inclusive Dialogue at a Challenging Time in Turkey The role of media in conflict resolution Oslo, 25-27 April 2018 DPI’s latest roundtable meeting, which took place in Oslo last week, brought together a diverse group from across Turkey’s media spectrum to discuss the role of media in conflict resolution. The group comprised prominent members of both the mainstream and alternative media in Turkey who engaged in a fruitful and insightful discussions drawing on the international experiences from both the Colombian and Northern Ireland peace processes. After a warm welcome from our hosts at the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Espen Lindbæck and Egil Thorsås, Director and Senior Adviser respectively, participants explored a range of topics, including the relationship between media and governance, with discussions informed by a government perspective from Colombia shared by John Jairo Ocampo Nino, the former Colombian Government Press Secretary and experienced journalist.  The notion of peace journalism and the challenges and opportunities of its implementation was raised repeatedly during the meeting. Another overriding theme was the duty of the journalist in reporting on conflict resolution processes, where Owen Bowcott, journalist from The Guardian made particular reference to experiences from The Troubles in Northern Ireland. Participants also discussed broader global challenges relating to the media’s role in conflict prevention in a session led by Sarah Lister, Director of the Oslo Governance Centre, UNDP. This roundtable was part of a series of activities planned in the context of the project: ‘Supporting inclusive dialogue at a challenging time in Turkey’, supported by the EU and the Irish, Netherlands and Norwegian governments. A full transcript report from this meeting will be produced and made available on the website. Egil Thorsås, alongside DPI CEO Kerim Yildiz, opens the meeting with a few words of welcome on behalf of the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. John Jairo Ocampo Nino, Former Press Secretary, Colombian Government joins Kerim Yildiz for a picture after the meeting. Sarah Lister, Director, Oslo Governance Centre, UNDP, delivers her presentation at the Roundtable meeting. Owen Bowcott, journalist for The Guardian, addresses participants. DPI participants and staff gather for a group photo with Egil Thorsås. A number of articles have been written following this Roundtable meeting: ‘Çözüm’e yeniden dönmek Posta – 27 April Salonda bir değil iki fil var Evrensel – 29 April 2018 Kore’de barış Milliyet – 29 April 2018 Medya Çözüm Süreçlerinin Neresinde Olmalı? Amerika’nın Sesi – 29 April 2018  ‘Oslo görüşmeleri’nden notlar… Karar – 30 April 2018 Peace, a long and complicated process Daily Sabah – 30 April 2018 Barışı hep akılda tutmak Serbestiyet – 1 May 2018 Oslo’da Çatışma Çözümünde Medyanın Rolü Konuşuldu Sivil Sayfalar – 1 May 2018 DPI: ‘Türkiye’de Yeni Bir Süreç Başlamak Zorunda’ Amerika’nın Sesi – 1 May 2018 Zor zamanlarda barışı konuşmak Agos – 2 May 2018
13/04/2018 On April 11, DPI hosted three  representatives of the Turkish Justice and Development Party (AKP). AK Party Deputy Chairman Mehmet Mehdi Eker, Efkan Ala (MP, Member the Central Decision and Executive Board of AK Party and former Minister of Interior) and Taner Yıldız (MP, Former Minister of Energy and Natural Resources) met with DPI advisors and international senior experts in the field of conflict resolution at a venue in Westminster, London. The meeting provided a fruitful discussion and participants were able to hear the delegation’s view on the current situation in Turkey as well as the wider region. International experts including Jonathan Powell (Former Chief of Staff to Tony Blair), Dermot Ahern (Former Irish Minister of Foreign Affairs) and Sir Bill Jeffrey (Former Political Director of the Northern Ireland Officer) shared their international experiences in terms of conflict resolution which was met with great interest and led to a constructive exchange of opinions.  Participants from left to right: Leyla Karayilan (AK Party Advisor), Lucy Stuart (InterMediate), Fleur Ravensbergen (DAG), Prof. Dr. Mehmet Asutay (Business School Durham University), Jonathan Powell (Former Chief of Staff to Tony Blair), Dermot Ahern (Former Irish Minister of Foreign Affairs), Nick Stewart QC (DPI Chairman), Jonathan Cohen (Conciliation Resources), Sally Holt (DPI Deputy Director), Onur Uz (Interpreter), Esra Elmas (DPI Head of Turkey Programme) Front row sitting, left to right: Kerim Yildiz (DPI CEO), Taner Yildiz (MP), Mehdi Eker (AK Party Deputy Chairman), Efkan Ala (MP) and Sir Bill Jeffrey (Former Political Director, Northern Ireland Office)
07/03/2018 Supporting inclusive dialogue at a challenging time in Turkey On Saturday, 3 March, DPI held a roundtable meeting in Turkey to discuss women’s role in dialogue and conflict resolution in challenging times drawing on comparative examples from around the world, with a particular focus on the Colombian experience. The roundtable provided a platform for discussion between a diverse group of female participants including elected representatives and members of Turkey’s main political parties, representatives of human rights associations, prominent journalists and media figures, leading academics, lawyers, heads of women’s business organisations, and figures from the art and literature worlds.  Topics discussed included forms of participation in resolution processes at different levels – from local level and citizen-based initiatives to high level policy-making – and the connections between them. Examples of how women have negotiated differences among themselves to identify common ground as the basis for joint action were also explored. Speakers on Colombia shared first-hand experiences and perspectives on the role of women in sustaining dialogue, resisting and transforming conflict in the face of on-going violence, and in building peace through memory. This roundtable in Turkey is the first in a series of activities planned in the context of the project: ‘Supporting inclusive dialogue at a challenging time in Turkey’, supported by the EU and the Irish, Netherlands and Norwegian governments. A full report on the roundtable meeting is forthcoming. Group photo with roundtable participants EU Ambassador Christian Berger with participant Speaker Idun Tvedt from the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Irish Ambassador Brendan Ward with participant
01/03/2018 Supporting inclusive dialogue at a challenging time in Turkey FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE PRESS RELEASE – 1 March 2018 Contact: DPI’s Deputy Director Sally Holt at sholt@democraticprogress.org or Esra Elmas, Head of Turkey Programme eelmas@democraticprogress.org ROUNDTABLE MEETING: Women’s role in dialogue and conflict resolution in challenging times: Working together to address issues of common interest Istanbul, Turkey, 3 March 2018 The Democratic Progress Institute (DPI) will hold a roundtable meeting this weekend in Istanbul on the role of women in sustaining dialogue and maintaining efforts to build peace, even in the most challenging times. Participants in this event are a diverse group of political and civil society actors from different regions and representing the broad spectrum of different political affiliations in Turkey. They include elected representatives and members of Turkey’s main political parties; representatives of human rights associations; prominent businesswomen; renowned journalists and media personalities; lawyers; senior academics; and figures from the art and literature worlds. The roundtable is part of DPI’s conflict resolution series focused on women’s role in resolution and peace-making processes. It will continue and develop discussions held at previous DPI events on this topic, notably a Women’s Roundtable in Ankara in July 2017 and a subsequent Civil Society Roundtable in Dublin in October 2017, where participants discussed the potential role of women in cooperating across societal divides to address issues of shared concern with specific reference to the Northern Ireland Women’s Coalition. The focus in Istanbul will be on: how women can come together to address everyday issues affecting them and their communities, whether through informal or formal political processes; how such initiatives can contribute to conflict resolution; and how civil society or local level initiatives intersect with formal policy-making. DPI’s Chief Executive Officer Mr Kerim Yildiz said of the forthcoming roundtable ‘we hope that this meeting will provide women from across Turkey’s society with a valuable opportunity to discuss the role of women in contributing to dialogue and peace, including by having conversations and sharing experiences of the successes and mistakes of other processes around the world.’ Participants will have the opportunity to discuss international cases with international conflict resolution experts and key actors with direct experience of peace processes in Colombia and Northern Ireland. Panelists include Norwegian diplomat, Idun Tvedt who was part of the Norwegian facilitation team in Colombia and UN Department of Political Affairs senior mediation and gender expert, Elisabeth Scheper. Nancy Prada Prada of the Colombian National Centre of Historical Memory and Northern Irish journalist and lawyer, Dearbhail McDonald will also share insights and valuable policy and civil society perspectives from their own experience. While every conflict is unique, such comparative international practice can offer useful examples in terms of lessons learned and challenges faced, and can be instrumental in drawing out principles, models and approaches that can guide conflict resolution and democratic advancement. The roundtable is the first in a series of activities planned in the context of the project: “Supporting inclusive dialogue at a challenging time in Turkey”. Future activities include ongoing roundtable meetings and comparative study visits planned within Turkey and other parts of the world, including countries that have had peace processes. In line with DPI’s usual practice, a full record of roundtable discussions will be published and made available on the Institute’s webpage at www.democraticprogress.org. Please also visit the website for records of all of DPI’s previous events, as well as studies on a wide range of topics such as devolution, constitutional arrangements and transitional justice, and on the role of different sectors of society (business, media, women, etc.) in resolution and peace processes. For further information on this roundtable please contact DPI’s Deputy Director Sally Holt at sholt@democraticprogress.org or Esra Elmas DPI’s Head of Turkey Programme at eelmas@democraticprogress.org

2017

20/12/2017 Over the past three weeks, we have held a series of meetings at the office in London with MPs and advisers from each of the three main political parties in Turkey – namely the AK Party, CHP and HDP. Each meeting, carried out under the Chatham House Rules, followed a similar format and was designed to allow a two-way discussion between them and DPI staff and advisers. In addition DPI hosted a meeting with the CHP Chairperson, Kemal Kiliçdaroğlu. The event, which took place at Dartmouth House, provided an opportunity for a candid and constructive exchange between the CHP leader, accompanied by his delegation of MPs, and other attendees who included former statesmen and experts on conflict resolution and democratisation. We feel that we have staged four insightful, informative and thought-provoking meetings. The purpose was to discuss and assess recent developments and the current situation in Turkey, as well as prospects for democratisation and the resolution process in the run up to the 2019 elections and beyond. Each meeting, which took place over two days, also provided a platform for discussion with international experts, who were able to share their first-hand experience of conflict resolution cases, with a particular focus on the role of opposition parties in conflict resolution and democratisation. Among the experts that contributed to the meetings were Sir Kieran Prendergast, former British Ambassador to Turkey; Bertie Ahern, former prime minister of Ireland; Jonathan Powell, Tony Blair’s former chief of staff; Dermot Ahern, former minister of foreign affairs for the Republic of Ireland and Nick Stewart QC, deputy high court judge and DPI board chairman. Participants also provided valuable input on DPI’s planned activities for 2018 and shared suggestions for continuing cooperation between DPI and their respective parties. Discussion in Turkey is focused on what will happen in the upcoming elections in 2019. The three parties each talked about the importance of democratisation, justice and equality and all three recognise the need to increase their support among broader constituencies beyond their core electorate and to capture the women and youth votes in particular. It is expected that the resolution process will remain essentially ‘frozen’ with little change expected until after elections. There were discussions on how this interim period can best be utilised for planning and preparation until such a time as the process can be resumed. The importance of cross-border dynamics and regional developments in this regard was also considered. Participants also highlighted the need for a continuation of DPI’s work in supporting platforms for dialogue in a tense and polarised environment in the country. DPI looks forward to developing its cooperation with all three parties in 2018.
11/12/2017 On the 7th December 2017, the Democratic Progress Institute was privileged to welcome the Honourable Mr Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, leader of the Republican People’s Party, to Dartmouth House in London. Along with a delegation of CHP party members, the event saw Mr Kılıçdaroğlu engage with an array of experts with wide-ranging experiences of resolution processes, the role of opposition parties and democratisation. The discussion and exchange proved to be very fruitful to all involved. The meeting provided DPI and its advisors with an opportunity to hear the views of Mr Kılıçdaroğlu and his party on the current political situation in Turkey and the wider region. Following meetings with representatives of AK Party and HDP, we were delighted to hold such discussions with the CHP delegation and their party leader. The summary report of this series of meetings, with the three main political parties in Turkey, will be uploaded onto our website soon.  Set in the grand Churchill Room at Dartmouth House, our participants exchanged thoughts and opinions on issues such as dialogue, the role of opposition parties and working towards a democratic society. DPI experts also shared their international experiences of the successes and failures of past resolution processes. 
24/10/2017 DPI will hold a Roundtable hosted by the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in Dublin this week from 25-27 October on the role of civil society in conflict resolution processes. The Roundtable, which will draw on experiences from Northern Ireland’s conflict and peace process, is part of DPI’s conflict resolution series on Dialogue in Difficult Times. The event will provide a diverse group of civil society actors from different regions in Turkey, including representatives of leading human rights and women’s organisations, as well members of the business, legal, media, religious, and academic worlds, with the opportunity to exchange knowledge and experiences with key experts from Northern Ireland and Ireland. Experts include civil society actors, as well as senior members of the Irish government and other stakeholders who navigated several challenging periods before the peace agreement in 1998. Discussions will focus on the inclusive and constructive ways in which civil society can contribute to conflict resolution especially where a process has stalled or is facing obstacles. A full report will be made available after the Roundtable.
13/09/2017 This report provides an assessment of Turkey’s political structures and climate following the constitutional referendum of 16 April 2017. It considers possibilities of a potential resolution process or return to politics with regard to the Kurdish issue, and analyses the opportunities, situations and actors that might actualize this potential. This assessment was prepared for the Democratic progress Institute by prominent writer, columnist, and Member of Turkey’s  Wise  Persons’ Committee, Ali Bayramoğlu. The views and opinions expressed in this report are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the views of DPI. Download here [English]  Download here [Turkish]
31/08/2017 From July 10 to 13th 2017  DPI carried out a comparative study visit to Dublin and Belfast for senior members of Turkey’s business community to learn about the role of business in the Northern Ireland peace process and the effect of peace on the economy.  Topics discussed included the benefits of peace for the Northern Ireland economy, how businesses influenced the peace process, the role of social enterprises in building community cohesion, cross-border trade between Ireland and Northern Ireland, and the role of sports organisations in conflict resolution. The delegation attended meetings in Dublin and at Iveagh House with business people involved in cross-border trade, journalists and diplomats including Mr Bertie Ahern, former Irish PM, and Mr Dermot Ahern, former Irish Minister for Foreign Affairs and Defence. In Belfast, the delegation met with business people directly involved in the peace process, academics, and representatives of Northern Ireland’s social enterprise sector. This was the first meeting of business representatives hosted by DPI with future activities forthcoming to build upon the discussions and topics of this seminal visit. Download here [English and Turkish]
24/08/2017 This research paper focuses on the role and actions of the private sector and business community in contributing to the Northern Ireland peace process. Download here [English] Download here [Turkish]
22/08/2017 Last week DPI conducted two days of roundtable meetings with prominent experts and public opinion leaders from Turkey to assess and analyse the current situation regarding the work and process of conflict resolution in Turkey. The participants are also leading members of the Dialogue Group which was established in May 2016 and comprises former parliamentarians, as well as social democrat academics, civil society and media members. The Group extends beyond members of the main political parties, including former Ministers, to include representatives of other parties and sectors of society from across the political spectrum. The roundtable provided  a welcome platform for dialogue regarding the current situation on the ground and the likely implications, possibilities and expectations for the continuation of the resolution process in Turkey. The participants  who joined the meeting with DPI are leading members of the Dialogue Group and included: Erol Katırcıoğlu (Professor of Economics), Gülseren Onanç (Member of CHP Party Assembly), Hasip Kaplan  (Former MP), Ufuk Uras (Lecturer at İstanbul University and Former MP) and  Ziya Halis (Former State Minister). During the course of two days we discussed the parked resolution process and the Dialogue Group members highlighted that a renewal of the resolution process is not likely to happen in the near future.  As the state of emergency may continue until 2019, a year with three major elections in Turkey, a renewal of the peace process may be expected then. The participants highlighted further that political tension in Turkey is still steadily rising, the infringement of human rights ongoing and polarisation in the country increasing. It was emphasised that it is important to use this time now to prepare society, interested parties and stakeholders for the renewal of the possible peace process. The participants suggested that it will be important that DPI uses its expertise , network and influence to provide further platforms for dialogue, both inside and outside Turkey, to bring together diverse groups and individuals to discuss how we should contribute to the democratisation and resolution process in Turkey.  As planned, DPI will continue to carry out further activities in relation to conflict resolution and democratisation, including providing platforms to facilitate dialogue, sharing experience and expertise. 
31/07/2017 On Saturday, 29 July 2017, DPI held a roundtable meeting in Ankara, Turkey to discuss the role of women in conflict resolution from the comparative example of Northern Ireland. Participants included Members of Parliament, prominent journalists, leading academics, constitutional lawyers, and representatives of women’s business organisations.  Speakers Avila Kilmurray and Jane Morrice, two founding members of the Northern Ireland Women’s Coalition, discussed topics relating to UNSCR 1325, the role of the European Union in Northern Ireland’s peace process, attempts to integrate the education system, challenges faced by the Women’s Coalition, representation of women at the negotiating table, and strategies for coping with resistance to women’s involvement. A full report on the Roundtable Meeting is forthcoming. 
14/07/2017 This past week DPI carried out a comparative study visit to Dublin and Belfast for senior members of Turkey’s business community to learn about the role of business in the Northern Ireland peace process and the effect of peace on the economy.  Topics discussed included the benefits of peace for the Northern Ireland economy, how businesses influenced the peace process, the role of social enterprises in building community cohesion, cross-border trade between Ireland and Northern Ireland, and the role of sports organisations in conflict resolution.  The delegation attended meetings in Dublin and at Iveagh House with business people involved in cross-border trade, journalists and diplomats including Mr Bertie Ahern, former Irish PM, and Mr Dermot Ahern, former Irish Minister for Foreign Affairs and Defence. In Belfast, the delegation met with business people directly involved in the peace process, academics, and representatives of Northern Ireland’s social enterprise sector. This was the first meeting of business representatives hosted by DPI with future activities forthcoming to build upon the discussions and topics of this seminal visit.
19/05/2017 On 4 May 2017, DPI welcomed Gulseren Onanç to speak at a small Roundtable in London. Ms Onanç is an Assembly Member of CHP (Republican People’s Party), the main party of opposition in Turkey’s parliament. She has previously served as a Member of the Party’s Central Executive Committee, as Deputy Chairperson, as well as managing CHP’s public relations. Previous to politics, Ms Onanç was a prominent businesswoman working internationally from Turkey. In 2003, she founded Ticketturk, a major online ticketing company. Her life in business included activism for women’s causes: she was a co-founder of KADIGER (Entrepreneur Women Association of Turkey) and active in the establishment of the Turkish Grand National Assembly’s Commission of Equal Opportunities for Women and men. In 2009, she was honoured by the International Alliance of Women (TIAW) with the World of Difference Award. Ms Onanç, along with a colleague, presented her view of Turkey during and in the aftermath of the referendum with cautious optimism. She described the political alliances and left-leaning coalitions that were formed during the referendum campaign and the implications of these collaborations looking forward to Turkey’s next round of Presidential elections. Her talk balanced current barriers to the peace process with indications of opportunities for peacebuilding to resume. Ms Onanç did not shy from the polarisation which divides Turkey’s society, highlighting different axes of contention, but was keen to emphasise that change was a real possibility in the near future. She was particularly interested in how young people could be included in political conversations about the country’s future. Following Ms Onanç’s presentation, a question and answer session allowed key components of her presentation to be unpacked further. Feedback from the event indicated its high usefulness in understanding the situation in Turkey first-hand, and comments particularly noted Ms Onanç’s resistance to cynicism and commitment to progress.
06/03/2017 On 4th March 2017, the Democratic Progress Institute (DPI) held a roundtable in Ankara which brought together a diverse group from Turkey’s political and cultural spectra. Participants included chief advisors to the president and prime minister; members of parliament from AK Party, HDP and CHP; Wise People Committee members; academics; prominent media representatives and journalists; civil society representatives and ambassadors. This inclusive roundtable was the first event organised by DPI in Turkey since the attempted military coup d’état, therefore, the focal theme was dialogue in difficult times. The roundtable explored the peace process experiences, with their setbacks and challenges, of Northern Ireland and the Philippines. Speakers included implementers of the Good Friday Agreement – chair of the Police Foundation, Sir Bill Jeffrey, and former Irish Minister for Foreign Affairs, Dermot Ahern. Meanwhile, Eurasia Regional Director at the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue, David Gorman, outlined his experience in the Philippines peace process. Through analysing the lessons learned from the peace process of the two countries, the engaging discussions emphasised the significance of building trust and confidence on all sides, the role of third parties, and the importance of maintaining dialogue throughout the process. 
The full transcript and report will be published at a later stage.

2016

25/11/2016 Last week in Ankara, a DPI representative and a member of the Advisory Board together with other members of the Turkey Democracy Platform (TDP met with the President of Turkey, Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. At this high-level meeting, the DPI representatives briefed President Erdoğan in relation to DPI’s work, such as the numerous activities in support of peace, including round tables and comparative study visits to, among others, Colombia, Ireland, South Africa, Philippines carried out with the generous support of our donors. The President was informed that on the night of the attempted coup, DPI was holding a meeting in Ankara with a delegation of female MPs representing the AK, CHP and HDP parties, one of the Presidential Chief Advisers and two speakers from Ireland. The decision of the participants, to continue with the meeting despite the extraordinary circumstances, was commended by the President as showing determination.
22/11/2016 The Democratic Progress Institute (DPI) held a roundtable meeting last weekend in Geneva, bringing together senior journalists and cultural figures from across Turkey’s socio-political spectrum, to discuss the role of the media in conflict resolution. The roundtable facilitated expertise and knowledge sharing from international speakers, including Tom Kelly, former official spokesman for Tony Blair, Owen Bowcott, former Ireland correspondent at the Guardian, and James LeMoyne, former UN Special Representative to the Secretary-General on Colombia, and war correspondent. Speakers focused on comparative learnings from the experiences of conflict resolution in Northern Ireland and Colombia. The significant role of peace journalism and peace language within the media were salient threads throughout the discussions. Participants identified the issues of ethics and terminology in journalism as common priorities to work on in Turkey. In addition, participants were unanimous in their desire to broaden the base for dialogue and open new channels of communication with all groups in Turkey’s society. For more updates, follow DPI on Twitter @DPI_UK.
12/10/2016 This four-day roundtable brought together MPs, senior advisors, lawyers, academics, media representatives and civil society leaders from across Turkey’s political and cultural spectra to discuss the issue of incorporating and integrating women into peace processes and conflict resolution, in particular in times of crisis. It follows on from DPI’s last event, which took place in Kızılcahamam, Ankara, on the weekend of the 15-17 July 2016. The activity comprised roundtable meetings with key actors from the process leading to the Good Friday Agreement, exploring in particular the subject of maintaining dialogue in the face of a major challenge. Speakers included representatives from the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, former Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern, former Irish Minister for Foreign Affairs, Dermot Ahern, prominent members of the Northern Ireland Women’s Coalition Jane Morrice and Bronagh Hinds, representatives from the UK’s Northern Ireland Office, experts from Queens University and former political prisoners including the Deputy Lord Mayor of Belfast and Assembly Members at Stormont. The agenda took place through a gendered lens and topics relating to women’s incorporation into a peace process were addressed specifically.
20/07/2016 The Democratic Progress Institute (DPI), held a roundtable meeting last weekend in Ankara, bringing together participants from across Turkey’s political and cultural spectra to discuss the issue of incorporating and integrating women into peace processes and conflict resolution. The roundtable provided experience and knowledge-sharing from international speakers, Avila Kilmurray and Jane Morrice, influential members of the Northern Ireland Women’s Coalition. The meeting took place against the backdrop of the attempted military coup in Turkey, which began on the day of the activity. The discussions that took place therefore considered relevant topics to the current context and analysed ongoing events on the ground, in addition to the topic in question. This roundtable is part of DPI’s ongoing activities on gender and conflict resolution.
12/07/2016 DPI assisted with the facilitation of a recent roundtable meeting in Diyarbakir, focusing on comparative learnings from the Philippines’ experience of conflict resolution. Speakers included David Gorman, who has worked extensively on the Philippines peace process among other international peace processes.
25/05/2016 DPI recently carried out a comparative study visit, in partnership with Turkey based think tank PODEM, to London and Belfast. The visit comprised a series of roundtable meetings from 9 to 13 May 2016, addressing the topic of ‘Towards Advocating Police Monitoring Mechanisms in Turkey’ through an exploration of policing accountability and oversight bodies in the contexts of Great Britain’s and Northern Ireland’s experiences. This visit took place in the context of the very recent establishment of a Policing Ombudsman body in Turkey, which has sparked debate on policy and practice in relation to police monitoring mechanisms. The aim of the visit was therefore to address the challenges related to establishing such a body, including overcoming bureaucratic limitations, issues related to impunity, and deciding on a structure that answers the needs of a multicultural and historically divided society in post conflict contexts such as that of Northern Ireland. PODEM and DPI’s objective in bringing together experts and practitioners in the field of police reform and oversight within Turkey, including academics and members of Turkey’s police academy, was to gain insight into the mechanisms and practices necessary to achieve robust police accountability structures, and to acquire in-depth knowledge of the criteria for success and best practice in this area. The visit was attended by 8 participants, including representatives from both PODEM and DPI, as well as academics and experts in the field of police reform and accountability, and practitioners from Turkey’s police academy. As well as meeting with speakers from the office of the Northern Ireland Police Ombudsman, the Northern Ireland Policing Board, the UK’s Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC), Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC), the Northern Ireland Office and the Department of Justice, as well as former senior police officers and experts in the area of police reform, participants took part in a field trip to the interface areas of Belfast, and met with former political prisoners from both Nationalist and Unionist communities, to gain deeper insight into the historical context of Northern Ireland’s conflict. For further information on the visit please visit our partner organisation, PODEM’s website: http://podem.org.tr/en/etkinlik/democratic-police-monitoring-and-oversight-mechanisms-study-tour-to-england-and-northern-ireland/
26/04/2016 The Democratic Progress Institute last week carried out a comparative study visit to Colombia to explore the peace process currently under way in Havana between the Government and the armed group, FARC. Participants met with key actors from both sides of the process, including Colombian President Santos, senior actors and negotiators from around the table including government Head negotiator Frank Pearl and facilitator Senator Iván Cepeda. Also met with were important civil society actors, regional heads of government, and experts in the field of conflict resolution. The visit took place in Bogotá, Colombia’s capital, and in San Jan de Pasto, one of Colombia’s most conflict affected areas in the region of Nariño. Participants in this visit included senior members from all of Turkey’s main political parties, policy makers, senior government advisors, human rights lawyers, popular public figures, well known journalists, academics and civil society leaders including members of Turkey’s wise persons committee. The visit was hosted by the Colombian government and carried out with the kind assistance of the Presidential Office.
29/03/2016 The Democratic Progress Institute last week carried out a Comparative Study Visit to Dublin, Dundalk and Belfast from 19 to 24 March as part of the Institute’s Turkey programme. This visit explored themes relating to “getting a process back on track in challenging times”, addressing topics such as timing and choreography of a peace process, the role of civil society in maintaining a process, questions relating to DDR and SSR, the impact of third parties, and issues relating to memory and dealing with the past. The topics were addressed from a gendered perspective, examining in particular the experiences of women in conflict and in conflict resolution, and topics relating to women’s incorporation into, and role in, peace processes. Ireland’s experiences of conflict resolution were looked at in detail, with particular focus on the Good Friday Agreement, the Stormont House Agreement and the recent Fresh Start Agreement. Speakers met with included government representatives from both the Irish and British governments, founding members of the Northern Ireland Women’s Coalition, former political prisoners from different communities, political actors from various parties in Northern Ireland including Sinn Féin and the Democratic Unionist Party, religious and civil society leaders, experts in the areas of transitional justice and gender, integrated education and media and conflict. The visit was hosted with the kind facilitation of the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and has received significant media coverage in Turkey. Participants in the visit included parliamentarians from different political parties, media representatives, civil society actors, academics, and policy advisors from across the political spectrum in Turkey. For DPI’s most recent publication on Northern Ireland see the link below. 
Download here: A Fresh Start for Northern Ireland [PDF]
10/02/2016 The Democratic Progress Institute offer three month internships and are keen for their interns to share their experiences. Many thanks to Harikrishnan Sasikumar for writing this entry which we hope will be of use to those thinking about applying. Harikrishnan Sasikumar Dec 2014

2015

18/12/2015 We are delighted to announce DPI’s new Gender Policy document, which outlines our commitment to supporting gender equality and the principles expressed in international agreements and the Sustainable Development Goals. It applies both to all of the Institute’s activities and research, as well as to our internal organisational systems and practices. This Policy has been created through a wholly inclusive and comprehensive approach, with the input of all DPI staff and through consultation with international gender experts, including our Board and Council of Experts members working in this area as advisors and practitioners. DPI Gender Policy DPI Gender Policy – Background Note
30/11/2015 The Democratic Progress Institute (DPI), in partnership with Istanbul Bilgi University’s Centre for Conflict Resolution Studies and Research held a roundtable meeting this weekend in Istanbul, continuing conversation on the subject of ‘getting a process back on track’ in times of crisis. Invitees in this event included senior representatives of all of Turkey’s main political parties; members of Turkey’s Wise Persons Committee including Kadir Inanir, Yilmaz Ensaroglu, Kezban Hatemi and others; some of Turkey’s most renowned journalists and media personalities; representatives from civil society including from women’s organisations, human rights associations and others; senior academics; and key individuals from the art and literature worlds. Key note speakers included Chief government negotiator and key actor during South Africa’s democratic transition process, Roelf Meyer, and Former Prime Minister of Ireland, Bertie Ahern, who played a prominent role in bringing about the Good Friday Agreement. DPI Council of Experts members Ali Bayramoğlu and Sevtap Yokuş also spoke, and the event was Chaired by fomer Rector of Istanbul Bilgi University Remzi Sanver. Discussion focused on the ways in which obstacles and challenges were overcome during both the South African and Irish processes.
30/11/2015 DPI is extremely sad to learn of the death of Tahir Elci, Head of the Diyarbakir Bar Association in Turkey. Mr Elçi was a valued friend of the Institute and a participant in our activities; our condolences go out to his family, friends and colleagues.
01/10/2015 The Democratic Progress Institute (DPI) will hold a roundtable meeting this weekend in Ankara, on the subject of ‘getting a process back on track’ in times of crisis. Invitees in this event include members of Turkey’s wise persons commission; some of Turkey’s most renowned journalists and media personalities; representatives from civil society including from women’s organisations, human rights associations and others; senior academics; and key individuals from the art and literature worlds. Download Here [ENG]
18/09/2015 The following Briefing Note provides an overview of recent events in Northern Ireland regarding the Power Sharing Executive: Briefing Note – Political Crisis: Northern Ireland Executive
30/06/2015 The Democratic Progress Institute carried out a Comparative Study Visit to the Philippines from 20-27 June. The Southern Philippines peace process was explored in a series of roundtables held in Manila and Cotabato (Southern Philippines). The visit included 18 participants from Turkey, including Members of Parliament from each main political party; policy makers; renowned journalists […]
19/06/2015 The Democratic Progress Institute will carry out a Comparative Study Visit to the Philippines over the next week, to explore learnings from the Southern Philippines peace process. The visit will take place in Manila and in Mindanao, and participants will include Members of Parliament from Turkey’s main political parties; as well as policy makers; renowned journalists and media personalities; senior academics and members of Turkey’s Wise Persons Committee. Participants will meet with key actors from the Philippines process to learn from their first hand experiences of conflict resolution. DPI Director Kerim Yildiz said of the visit: ‘this is an important and timely visit which comes at a critical point in the Philippines’ process, in particular in relation to the recent decommissioning of weapons’. The visit will be hosted by the Philippines Government’s Office of the Presidential Advisor to the Peace Process.
16/06/2015 The European Court of Human Rights today delivered a Grand Chamber judgment in the case of Chiragov and Others v. Armenia (application no. 13216/05). The applicants in this case have been represented by a legal team headed up by Catriona Vine, Deputy Director of the Democratic Progress Institute (DPI), Kerim Yildiz, Director of DPI and Mark Muller QC, member of DPI Council of Experts and Executive Director of Beyond Borders. The landmark case along with that of Sargsyan vs. Azerbaijan (application no. 40167/06), decided in parallel with Chiragov,, will have an impact on hundreds of thousands of people, both Armenian and Azerbaijani, who have been internally displaced or become refugees as a result of the 27-year conflict in the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region as well as having wider implications for people who become refugees and internally displaced in Europe as a result of conflict. For full press release see: Chiragov v Armenia Press Release 16 June 2015
12/06/2015 This report details the discussion that took place during DPI’s Comparative Study Visit to Southern and Northern Ireland in April 2015. Participants in the visit included government advisors, policy makers, high level journalists and media personalities, academics and members of Turkey’s Wise Persons Committee. During the visit key actors from Northern Ireland’s peace process were met with, in Dublin, Dundalk and Belfast. Speakers included former Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern, former Irish Minister for Foreign Affairs Dermot Ahern, and Chair of the Good Friday Agreement, US Senator George Mitchell. Download Here [PDF]
03/06/2015 DPI Director Kerim Yildiz takes part in High-Level Seminar on Gender and Inclusive Mediation Processes, hosted by the United Nations DPA, Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO) and Crisis Management Initiative (CMI) in Helsinki on 19-21 May, together with representatives from the UN and various member states, the EU, and various civil society organisations and global research institutes.
02/06/2015 DPI Director Kerim Yildiz meets with US Senator George Mitchell to discuss his role of Chair of the Good Friday Agreement during DPI’s Comparative Study Visit to Ireland.
18/05/2015 This report details the discussion that took place during the Democratic Progress Institute’s roundtable meeting in Dublin, Ireland from 15th – 18th February 2015, regarding the Irish experience of conflict resolution. During this visit, key actors from the Northern Ireland peace process were met with, and the role of the Republic of Ireland was explored in detail. Participants in this roundtable were all women, and included members of Turkey’s Wise Persons’ Committee, high level journalists and media representatives, academics, civil society leaders, lawyers and policy advisors. Download Here [PDF] Download Here [PDF] Türkçe
07/05/2015 For application details, please see DPI’s Careers page. 
02/05/2015 https://vimeo.com/126611924
27/04/2015 DPI carried out a five day comparative study visit to Ireland last week, exploring the peace process in Northern Ireland and in particular the role played by international parties. Participants in the visit included members of Turkey’s Wise Persons Committee, as well as high level journalists, civil society leaders, policy advisers and academics. The visit was hosted by the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and took place in Dublin, Dundalk and Belfast, where key actors from the Good Friday Agreement were met with including Former Taoiseach (Irish Prime Minister) Bertie Ahern, US Special Envoy for Northern Ireland and Chair of the Good Friday Agreement negotiations Senator George Mitchell, Former Minister for Foreign Affairs Dermot Ahern, numerous MLAs and TDs, Irish and British government officials, former prisoners and other actors from the process in Ireland. Roundtable Meetings took place at the Dáil Éireann (Irish Parliament), the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the Northern Ireland Assembly, Stormont House (Northern Ireland Office of the British Government) in addition to a visit to Belfast’s interface areas. The visit was also attended by, and included a dinner reception hosted by the Turkish Ambassador to Ireland Necip Eguz, as well as by the former British Ambassador to Turkey and to Ireland, Sir David Reddaway.
30/03/2015 This assessment by Ali Bayramoğlu outlines the author’s perspectives on the development of the solution process in Turkey over recent months, focusing on the challenges faced in relation to the resolution of the Kurdish conflict since events in Kobane in 2014, and projecting likely developments in advance of the 2015 elections. This assessment is part of DPI’s continuous evaluation of the situation in Turkey in relation to the Kurdish resolution. It forms part of a series of assessments on this topic, undertaken by various experts, both nationally and internationally. This assessment is available in English, Turkish and Kurdish languages. Download Here [PDF]
05/03/2015 Erik was an invaluable member of DPI’s team, and a supporter of our work for many years. His committed dedication to human rights, both in a professional and personal capacity, was tireless, and a source of inspiration to those who knew him. He will be extremely missed. Arild Humlen, DPI Board member and long term colleague of Erik stated that “After a short period of illness our good friend Erik Osvik died last weekend. He was a great colleague, an outstanding lawyer and a strong defender of human rights and dignity. He is strongly missed and will be remembered as a warm, giving and
generous friend.”
20/02/2015 DPI’s third roundtable meeting focusing on women’s role in conflict resolution, and the gendered effect of conflict, took place over four days in Dublin this week. The women only delegation in this activity included key actors from Turkey’s process, ranging from civil society leaders, academics, members of the Wise Person’s Committee, policy advisors, lawyers, and media representatives and journalists. During the roundtable, which was facilitated with the kind assistance of the Irish Government’s Department of Foreign Affairs, participants met with those who were at the forefront of discussion during the Good Friday Agreement negotiations, including former Taoiseach (Irish Prime Minister) Bertie Ahern, former government negotiator Liz O’Donnell, and religious and civil society actors within the process, as well as with government representatives. Meetings took place at the Dáil Éireann (Irish Parliament) and at Iveagh House (the Department of Foreign Affairs), and a reception was also held at the Turkey Ambassador to Ireland’s residence. In addition to subjects relating to women’s role in the Good Friday Agreement and ongoing maintenance of peace in Ireland, discussions focused on the role of civil society and religious actors in conflict resolution, as well as on the role of the Irish government in the Irish peace process. This visit is part of our ongoing work on gender and conflict resolution, which includes activities both in Turkey and elsewhere, as well as research on related topics.
16/02/2015 This paper will seek to address why it is that, as of yet, Resolution 1325 has not been truly successful in terms of its implementation. In doing so, it will first explore the resolution’s three “pillars”: (1) participation, (2) prevention, and (3) protection, providing a platform from which to understand why it is that the more conventional methods used to implement 1325, mainly quotas and legislative methods, have been ineffective. The paper seeks to propose an alternative and more holistic way to go about incorporating women into peacebuilding. Download Here [PDF]

Global Conflict Zones

2014

11/12/2014 This brief considers the application of human rights in the theatre of war. The sources of international human rights law relevant to armed conflict are highlighted and compared with international humanitarian law. In evaluation, the practicalities of implementation of international law are assessed. Download Here [PDF]
27/11/2014 DPI Board Member, David Petrasek’s article on the question of impunity in relation to the International Criminal Court Article is published in Open Democracy this month. For further information on this article see: https://opendemocracy.net/openglobalrights/david-petrasek/icc-%E2%80%93-breach-in-dyke-or-high-water-mark
25/11/2014 DPI marks the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women on 25 November 2014 with a series of activities, including talks by expert speakers in the area of gender and conflict, film screenings and discussion. A new paper on the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 has also been published, along with a legal factsheet on sexual and gender based violence in conflict. A Study into the Ways to Better Incorporate Women into Peacebuilding and Conflict Resolution Through the Implementation of UNSCR 1325: Download Here [PDF] DPI Legal Factsheet: Sexual and Gender Based Violence in Conflict: Download Here [PDF]
10/11/2014 Istanbul Bilgi University and DPI Roundtable Meeting: ‘The Role of Language, Media and Identity in Conflict Resolution’ Istanbul Bilgi University, Turkey, 8 November 2014 The Democratic Progress Institute (DPI) in partnership with Istanbul Bilgi University  last weekend held a roundtable meeting at Bilgi University in Istanbul, Turkey, on the subject of Language, Media and Identity in Conflict Resolution. The aim of the roundtable was to examine the role of language, media and identity in conflict resolution and democratic advancement. This activity took place following feedback from participants during previous comparative study visits to the UK and in particular, Wales that further examination of the subjects of Language, Media and Identity within the wider context of our Turkey programme was necessary. Participants included academics focusing on issues of language and identity within the Turkish and Kurdish contexts, locally and nationally focused journalists and high level media representatives, representatives of think tanks focusing on issues of language, media and identity within democratic processes and governance within Turkey, Ministry of Education and other government advisors, policy advisors, and civil society leaders from across Turkey. A number of senior international diplomats and Ambassadors from international embassies also attended the meeting including representatives from the British, Irish, Dutch and Swiss Embassies and representatives from the EU Delegation to Turkey. Other international guests attended on behalf of international organisations addressing questions of language, identity and the media in conflict resolution and democratic transitions. Panel speakers at the roundtable included international and Turkey based conflict resolution experts and practitioners familiar with the subjects of language, media and identity. International speakers included David Harland, Chief Executive Officer at the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue in Geneva former Director of the Europe and Latin America Division, UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations, former Acting Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General in Haiti, Pristina; and in East Timor respectively, former  Senior Policy Advisor with the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, as well as that of Political Advisor to Commander UN Protection Force and Head of Civil Affairs for the UN in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and a widely published author on issues of conflict and international relations. Also speaking was Professor Ned Thomas, a Drafter of the Council of Europe Charter of Regional or Minority Languages and of the Universal Declaration of Linguistic Rights, Founder and President of the Mercator Institute for Media, Languages and Culture, at the University in Wales, Aberystwyth; Author; former President of Welsh PEN and Former Director of the University of Wales Press, and formerly a Journalist with Times Newspapers as well as Editor of the British Government’s publication Anglyia. Speakers from Turkey included academic and recipient of the Kurdish Institute Recipient of the 2014 Feqi Huseyin Sarnıç Language Award, Ronayi Önen, and Karin Karakaşlı, a Novelist and Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Agos Newspaper. Moderators and other contributors were President Erdoğan’s Wise Persons Committee Member Yılmaz Ensaroğlu of SETA; Aydın Uğur, Dean of Istanbul Bilgi University Social Sciences and Humanities Faculty; Rector of Istanbul Bilgi University, M. Remzi Sanver, Kenan Çayir, Head of Istanbul Bilgi University’s Sociology Department, and Deputy Director of DPI, Catriona Vine. A dinner reception was hosted by Istanbul University for participants and international delegates following the activity. As with all of DPI’s activities, a full record of this meeting will be published on our website. For any further information please contact DPI’s Head of  Programmes and Research Eleanor Johnson at ejohnson@democraticprogress.org
27/10/2014 http://www.norway.org.tr/News_and_events/News-from-Norway/These-religious-leaders-are-working-for-peace-in-Afghanistan-/#.VE49rPmsU_W
27/10/2014 DPI Afghanistan Programme: Participants from Afghanistan visited Istanbul and Ankara for a series of Roundtable meetings this October, including in Turkey’s parliament and at SETA, and including a dinner reception hosted by Norwegian Ambassador to Turkey, His Excellency Ambassador Janis Bjørn Kanavin.
20/10/2014 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=csrYwTTTZzQ Laurie Nathan, Director of the Centre for Mediation at the University of Pretoria in South Africa and a key actor in the South African process of reconciliation, was met with during DPI’s Comparative Study Visit to South Africa, as part of the Institute’s Turkey Programme.
29/08/2014 This publication looks at comparative conflict resolution processes internationally, offering comparative perspectives from different regions. Case studies include Northern Ireland and South Africa, among others, which are examined in relation to the Kurdish Question in Turkey. Contributors include academics and experts in the field of conflict resolution experts. This book is one if the first of its kind focusing on Conflict Resolution in Turkey. For further information on this publication see: www.iletisim.com.tr/kitap/catisma-cozumleri-ve-baris/8931
29/08/2014 This paper examines the role that diaspora populations can play, if any, in the resolution of conflict, exploring the question from a global perspective, and looking at the various ways in which diaspora groups have intervened in conflict and contributed to conflict resolution and democratisation processes internationally. http://www.democraticprogress.org/makers-or-breakers-of-peace-the-role-of-diasporas-in-conflict-resolution/
29/07/2014 The following is an excerpt from the interview: There were meetings arranged by one of the leading institutions on conflict resolution, the Democratic Progress Institute (DPI), in countries such as the Republic of South Africa, Ireland, the United Kingdom, Germany, and Turkey, some of which you attended. Regarding the reconciliation process from the perspective of conflict resolution, what are the similarities and differences between the Kurdish question and other examples around the world? Actually, every conflict is unique, and they do not resemble each other much, regarding those involved and their developments. It is important not to forget this fact. The fundamental aim of DPI’s Turkey program was to find an answer to the question of how to prepare NGOs, politicians and media for the reconciliation process. The aim of these meetings, which included foreign participants as well, was to bring Turks involved with the reconciliation process together with the foreign ones, in order to contribute by exchanging ideas. In this context, committees consisting of 15 to 20 people, including MPs, NGO representatives, and journalists attended the meetings held in England, Ireland, Scotland, South Africa, Spain, and Germany. The Kurdish question and the reconciliation process was not a subject of these meetings. Instead, the goal was to learn from the experience of the country that hosted the meeting. For example, in Ireland we had the chance hear about the experiences of participants in the Good Friday Agreement, which was signed between Northern Ireland, Ireland, and England in 1998, a delegate of Tony Blair, Jonathan Powell, Ireland’s president at that time, Bertie Ahern, Sinn Fein’s leader Gerry Adams and some people from the Irish Republican Army (IRA). During the visit to South Africa, we came together with the former apartheid administration and Mandela’s close working friends to learn from their experiences. Later we were in Germany in the context of central-local administration relationships and consolidating local administrations. In the meetings, we observed that MPs were having a hard time asking questions when all of the MPs of other parties were present. Because of this situation, we arranged separate meetings for HDP, Republican People’s Party (CHP) and AK Party MPs. In the following months, meetings are planned to be held in the Philippines, Colombia and Sri Lanka in order to learn from their experiences as well. For the full interview see: http://www.dailysabah.com/politics/2014/07/28/ensaroglu-predicts-reconciliation-process-be-more-determined-after-the-presidential-election
03/06/2014 The Democratic Progress Institute offer three month internships and are keen for their interns to share their experiences. Many thanks to David Comley for writing this section which we hope will be of use to those thinking about applying. I started interning at the Institute just over month ago and I will be here for three months in total, working three days a week. In this short piece I’m going to set out how I became an intern here, what the internship has involved and some advice to those intending to apply in the future. Why I applied here I started my MA at King’s College London with the intention of interning after lectures had ended in March. After a few months of emailing out CVs though I was beginning to wonder if I was ever going to get a place. Without any relevant experience I was starting to panic about how I would ever remove the ‘part-time bartender’ section of my CV. I discovered the DPI internship after reading a previous student’s ‘Diary of an Intern’ on the University of London Careers Service website, so it seems appropriate that I can pass on my own experiences in the same way! From this post I dug deeper into the organisation and discovered that it was right up my street. As part of my MA I study modules in Security and Development, Diplomacy and War and Insurgency in the Middle East. DPI helps to facilitate diplomacy between conflict-affected groups with a particular emphasis on the Middle East and North Africa. I couldn’t really have asked for a better fit. I emailed my CV and covering letter and was called in for interview a couple of weeks later. Although I was very nervous (it was my first interview for an internship) the staff were friendly, welcoming and interesting. About a week later they emailed back to offer me the place, along with the question ‘would you mind starting tomorrow?’. The internship itself DPI is based in a townhouse in Bloomsbury so isn’t too far away from King’s. When I arrived at the office the next day I was given an induction and introduced to the ten permanent staff. I read further into the research and reports that DPI have compiled over the past few years and started to familiarise myself with the key issues which DPI focuses on including the Kurdish Question in Turkey, the conflict in Syria and areas relating to democratisation and conflict resolution in the Middle East and North Africa region. Elements of focus include DDR, SSR, constitutional reform, minority and refugee issues, human rights and many more. A few hours into the day DPI’s Programme Manager asked me if I would like to go to Dublin the following week to assist with a Comparative Study Visit being run as part of the Institute’s Turkey programme. Predictably, I said yes. The next few days consisted of compiling documents for the delegates in this visit along with finalising the details of the trip. The following Tuesday morning I stepped onto an Aer Lingus flight with my bag (carefully!) filled with DPI paraphernalia for the meetings. The delegation during this visit comprised high level members of Turkey’s civil society, including NGO representatives, Human Rights Lawyers and Bar Associations, renowned journalists, members of Prime Minister Erdoğan’s Wise Persons Committee, and other public figures. My main task over the next few days was to record everything that was being said during the roundtable meetings in this visit. Although I have no secretarial experience, the past three years of university had put me in good stead for quickly taking notes. When I arrived back in London I spent a week or so writing these rough notes up into a report which will be translated into Turkish and published in both languages by DPI. Although the note-taking was hard work the talks were fascinating and have definitely doubled up as exam revision! Amongst the speakers were Ambassadors and diplomatic guests, conflict-resolution NGO CEOs, former IRA members and representatives from both Republican and Loyalist communities in Northern Ireland. We were also joined by Government representatives and Ministers, Members of Parliament, historians, civil society leaders, policy makers, journalists and key negotiators from all parties to the Good Friday Agreement. All of these people had extraordinary stories to tell about the peace process in Ireland. Listening to these speakers interact with participants, who had come see if any lessons may be applicable to their own case, showed me the huge potential of getting opponents around a table and having them listen, discuss and drink tea with one another. I clearly wasn’t the only one to feel this, as the trip was reported on extensively in Turkey’s national media and widely discussed on social media in the weeks that followed. My other task was to take photos to record the meetings and to help with the general running of the trip. As an intern in a small team you have to be ready to get on with anything, whether that is meeting and greeting participants, leading the group to different locations in the city or ensuring that everyone’s translation equipment continues to function during the meetings. I am currently finishing off the trip report and have assisted staff with preparation for other Comparative Study Visits. You are trusted with a lot of freedom on this internship, and although the staff are always happy to answer questions they do expect you to be assertive to get stuff done. DPI aims to have each research intern (there are also legal interns working on case work), complete a working paper on a relevant topic by the end of the internship. Outstanding papers are selected for publication by the Institute and used as part of future research. They are fairly flexible about what subject you do this on as long as it is related to their current work. The Institute tries to work with each intern to pinpoint common areas of interest and knowledge to focus on. As a Conflict, Security and Development student, I don’t think it will be hard to find something interesting to write about! Along with these longer tasks you are expected to do one reception shift per week. To be honest, this provides a well-earned break from highly-focused research and allows you to interact with the real people who work with the organisation. You are also expected to assist with urgent tasks that crop up on the day. So far these have ranged from running errands to Westminster to phoning hotels to make last minute changes to accommodation. They tend to keep you on your toes and I’ve never been bored! Tips for applying The Institute is looking for interns to attend DPI for three months for three to five day per week and recruits on a rolling basis. This makes it a pretty convenient internship to fit around your studies, particularly after lectures have started to wind down in the Spring. Although they don’t expect you to be an expert, an interest in conflict resolution and the Middle East and North Africa is very helpful. It is also important to have an idea of what the organisation actually does. The best way to do this is to watch the film (documenting a DPI Comparative Study Visit to South Africa) on their homepage and to have a flick through a few of their ‘Comparative Study’ reports on the website. I have learned a great deal about conflict resolution from these and I would go as far to say that it counts as ‘Security and Development’ revision for the exam. Apart from that I would emphasise any work experience that you may have including office work and research. Above all you should show enthusiasm for the topics and a desire to get involved in DPI’s work. So far this internship has been an extremely interesting experience and I am looking forward to the coming months! *David Comley is a student at King’s College London studying MA Conflict, Security and Development
02/06/2014 During this visit, hosted by the Irish Government, participants from Turkey’s Justice and Development Party (AK Party) met with key actors from the Irish peace process, to discuss issues relating to conflict resolution. The aim of the visit was to examine the peace process in Northern Ireland, to gain a deeper understanding of consolidating lessons already learned during previous, larger-scale DPI Comparative Study Visits, which have already taken place as part of DPI’s Turkey programme.
13/05/2014 During this visit, hosted by the Irish Government, participants from Turkey’s Republican People’s Party (CHP) met with key actors from the Irish peace process, to discuss issues relating to conflict resolution. The aim of the visit was to examine the peace process in Northern Ireland, to gain a deeper understanding of consolidating lessons already learned during previous, larger-scale DPI Comparative Study Visits, which have already taken place as part of DPI’s Turkey programme.
15/04/2014 DPI Roundtable Meeting: The Role of Civil Society in Conflict Resolution – The Irish Experience Dublin, Ireland 9-12 April 2014 The Democratic Progress Institute (DPI) last week held a roundtable meeting in Dublin, Ireland, on the subject of Civil Society’s Role in Conflict Resolution, focusing on the Irish experience of this topic. Participants in this visit included civil society representatives from across Turkey’s political spectrum, journalists, academics, lawyers and representatives from various groups within Turkey. The visit was kindly hosted by the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs and was facilitated by the Glencree Centre for Peace and Reconciliation.
25/03/2014 On March 6th, DPI staff and interns commemorated International Women’s Day with film screenings, readings and discussion addressing the experiences of women in conflict zones.
07/03/2014 DPI Roundtable Meeting: ‘The Role of Civil Society in Conflict Resolution’ Sanliurfa, Turkey, 1 March 2014 The Democratic Progress Institute (DPI) last weekend held a roundtable meeting in Sanliurfa, Turkey, on the subject of the Role of Civil Society in Conflict Resolution. The aim of the roundtable was to broaden bases for dialogue among civil society within Turkey, on the subject of conflict resolution and related topics. Participants came from across Turkey’s political and geographical spectra, and included representatives from numerous civil society organisations including from women’s organisations, human rights associations (including Bar Associations),   minority group representatives and others; national, regional and local journalists and media representatives; senior academics; and key individuals from the art and literature worlds. A number of senior international diplomats and Ambassadors from international embassies also attended the meeting. Panel speakers at the roundtable included international and Turkey based conflict resolution and civil society experts and practitioners. International speakers included Maureen Hetherington, who has worked in and written on community relations in Northern Ireland for 16 years and has directed several major community relations initiatives. Also speaking on the Irish experience was Ireland Ambassador to Turkey, His Excellency Ambassador Kenneth Thompson. Speakers from Turkey included Chief Executive of KAMER Foundation, and Talha Köse, of Istanbul Şehir University’s Department of Political Science. Moderators and other contributors were Wise Persons Committee Member Yılmaz Ensaroğlu of SETA; Professor Dr. Ahmet İnsel of Galatasaray University and DPI’s Catriona Vine. The roundtable meeting examined issues of civil society’s engagement with conflict resolution, the challenges of mobilising civil society, and the importance of civil society in democratic processes. This is the second DPI roundtable meeting to focus on the subject of Civil Society’s Role on Conflict Resolution and is part of the Institute’s Turkey programme. Records of all of DPI’s activities have been published and are available via the Institute’s website. For any further information please contact Eleanor Johnson at ejohnson@democraticprogress.org
16/01/2014 DPI conducted a Comparative Study Visit to Wales from January 12th to 16th to examine issues of Language and Identity in the Welsh context. Participants in this visit included government representatives, journalists, academics, policy makers and others from across Turkey’s political spectrum. The visit took place in Cardiff and the surrounding area. Several of the meetings were held in the Welsh Government buildings in Cardiff. Issues of language and education, identity and language, language and governance and constitutional arrangements were discussed during various roundtable meetings with Welsh Government representatives and other experts in related fields. This visit was kindly hosted by the Welsh Government.

2013

20/12/2013 This report aims to present an examination of the current process that is taking place in Turkey, regarding the resolution of the Kurdish Conflict. Numerous individuals and organisations were met with in various regions throughout Turkey and elsewhere, to try to discern public perceptions of recent events in Turkey, commonly referred to as the ‘process’. Download Here [PDF]
16/12/2013 Last week a number of DPI Council of Experts members met with DPI staff at the Merrion Hotel, Dublin, for a Strategy Seminar. Forthcoming DPI activities and research were discussed.
02/12/2013 The Democratic Progress Institute last week conducted a Comparative Study Visit to Dublin and Belfast, from 28 November to 1 December 2013. The activity was facilitated by the Glencree Centre for Peace and Reconciliation. The overarching aim of the visit was to examine the role of women in conflict resolution, through examining the Northern Irish peace process. During the visit, a number of roundtable discussions with key actors in the Northern Ireland peace process took place, including with Members of Parliament, former Ministers, civil society representatives, media representatives, and experts in the area of gender and conflict resolution.
13/11/2013 DPI is delighted to announce its membership of the European Peacebuilding Liaison Office (EPLO). EPLO is the platform of European NGOs, NGO networks and think tanks which are committed to peacebuilding and the prevention of violent conflict. See here for more information on EPLO: http://www.eplo.org/
21/10/2013 The Democratic Progress Institute this week conducted a Comparative Study Visit to Berlin, Germany from 21 to 24 October 2013. The activity was jointly organised with the Berghof Foundation and was hosted by the German Federal Foreign Office. The overarching aim of the visit was to provide a platform for influential policy makers, media representatives, civil society and key politicians from each of Turkey’s main political parties to learn about the German model of governance. During the visit, a number of roundtable discussions with high-profile German politicians took place, as well as visits to German governmental bodies including the German Parliament. Speakers included internationally recognised conflict transformation experts.
01/10/2013 DPI Roundtable Meeting: ‘The role of Women in Conflict Resolution’ Van, Turkey, 28 September 2013 The Democratic Progress Institute (DPI), in conjunction with Yüzüncü Yıl University, this weekend held a roundtable meeting in Van, Turkey, on the subject of the Role of Women in Conflict Resolution. The aim of the roundtable was to broaden bases for dialogue among women and men, on the subject of gender and conflict resolution. Among participants were those from across Turkey’s political spectrum, including some of the country’s most renowned journalists and media personalities (from both national, regional and local television and newspaper media); representatives from numerous civil society organisations including from women’s organisations, human rights associations (including the Bar Association) and others; senior academics; and key individuals from the art and literature worlds. Representatives from all of Turkey’s main political parties were present, as well as diplomats and senior representatives from international embassies. Panel speakers at the roundtable included international and Turkey based conflict resolution and gender experts and practitioners. International speakers included Kate Fearon, a founder of Northern Ireland’s Women’s Coalition, Jane Connors, Chief of the Special Procedures Branch at the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and David Gorman, Regional Director for Eurasia for the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue. Speakers from Turkey included Nurcan Baysal, previously of the UN Development Programme; Nil Mutluer, academic and expert on gender and conflict; and Bejan Matur, author, poet and renowned public figure in Turkey. Moderators and other contributors were author and women’s rights advocate Yıldız Ramazanoğlu; academic Asli Tunç of Bilgi University; Yılmaz Ensaroğlu of SETA and DPI’s Catriona Vine. The roundtable meeting examined issues surrounding women’s role in and contribution to peace processes, including the challenges faced in mobilising and facilitating women’s involvement in conflict resolution processes. Among case studies examined were Northern Ireland and the Philippines. UN mechanisms available to women were also examined, with discussion on the means by which women in Turkey can use such international mechanisms to equip themselves and participate in the current process. DPI Council of Experts member Bejan Matur said of the meeting: ‘This was a very timely and valuable roundtable organised by DPI, successfully bringing together key members of parliament, representatives from civil society and media, and experts in conflict resolution and gender, to explore ways in which women can contribute to the ongoing process in Turkey’. This is the second in DPI’s series of roundtable meetings on the subject of Women’s Role on Conflict Resolution and is part of the Institute’s Turkey programme. Records of all of DPI’s activities have been published and are available via the Institute’s website. For any further information please contact Eleanor Johnson at ejohnson@democraticprogress.org.
05/09/2013 DPI is pleased to announce a new Council of Experts Member, Dermot Ahern. Dermot Ahern is a Former Irish Member of Parliament and Government Minister  and was a key figure for more than 20 years in the Irish peace process, including in negotiations for the Good Friday Agreement and the St Andrews Agreement. He also has extensive experience at EU Council level including being a key negotiator and signatory to the Constitutional and Lisbon Treaties. In 2005, he was appointed by the then UN Secretary General Kofi Annan to be a Special Envoy on his behalf on the issue of UN Reform. Previous roles include that of Government Chief Whip, Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs, Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Justice and Law Reform.  Dermot Ahern also served as Co-Chairman of the British Irish Inter Parliamentary Body 1993 – 1997.
21/08/2013 The Democratic Progress Institute are always really keen to make sure King’s students know all about the 3 month internships they offer and often get their interns to share their experiences with us.  Thanks to King’s student Alice Curci for this post which should certainly whet your appetite to apply! I came to know about the work of the Democratic Progress Institute last March, during an event organised for the Middle East and Mediterranean Studies programme by the King’s College London Career Service. Throughout the event I had the opportunity to listen to and interact with the members of different organisations based here in London, ranging from think tanks and Non-Governmental Organisations to political risk consultancies. After listening to the representative from DPI describing their work, I was immediately drawn to the organisation: the idea of conducting research for an NGO which deals with conflict resolution, the main focus of my Masters programme, had a nice ring to it. Being able to choose the subject of my research from topics as various as the Kurdish issue in Turkey and the civil war in Syria, the role of women and that of the media in conflict resolution, and democracy promotion and advocacy, sounded even better. Being able to do all this within a friendly environment in which I could work closely with the members of staff and get a full taste of what it really means to work for a notn for profit organisation was simply music to my ears! So I applied, dreaming of how much I would enjoy exploring the gendered aspects of conflict in the Middle East. Things, though, rarely work out according to plan, and my experience at DPI turned out to be completely different from what I had imagined – and a much more exciting one! I know it might be hard to believe that there could possibly be anything more exciting than exploring the gendered aspects of conflict in the Middle East and writing a 10,000-word research paper on the topic, but trust me – there is. After interviewing, it took a while to hear back from the office, and I had almost given up hope and resigned myself to a life of unemployment when I finally received my internship offer email from DPI. It pretty much looked like this: “Dear Alice, We are delighted to offer you a research internship with DPI. My apologies for the delay in responding to you about this, but the reason is that we have in fact been considering potential interns to take part in a very special opportunity offered by DPI, and I wanted to ask you about this. DPI will be conducting a comparative study visit to South Africa from 29th April to 8th May 2013. The visit will include meetings with the key actors from the South African process, and visits to Cape Town, Pretoria, Johannesburg and a Safari park. The delegation will include approximately 25 people from Turkey, including members from the ruling party and pro-Kurdish opposition, as well as renowned media personalities, academics and civil society leaders. Please let me know if this is something that would be of interest and you would like to be on our list for consideration.” Sitting in the British Library, working on an essay that was making my life particularly miserable, I basically started hyperventilating. I was being offered: A way out of the dark hole into which my essay had drawn me (just kidding, but I am sure you can all relate with the feeling of despair, so yes – it did briefly cross my mind) The internship position I had been wishing for A one-week long trip to South Africa with a delegation of Turkish and Kurdish politicians and members of the Turkish civil society, for free. No wonder I was hyperventilating! I accepted, in case you were wondering, and before a week had passed I had packed my bags and boarded a plane to South Africa. My job there was to be the “eyes and ears” of the trip, taking detailed notes of everything that was said or done during the meetings and the visits, and taking plenty of pictures to be gathered in a final report once back in London. I am sure I have already managed to convince you that this was a truly awesome experience, but allow me to expand. The trip was part of a series of Comparative Study visits organised by DPI within the framework of their Turkey Programme. What this means in practice is that a group of Turkey’s MPs drawn from the ruling party (AK Party) and the two main opposition parties (the BDP and CHP), together with a bunch of high level journalists, some of Turkey’s media best known personalities, and academics, sometimes get to travel to countries with a history of conflict resolution and learn everything possible about the way they managed to solve their own issues, in order to apply the lesson to the Turkish situation. What this meant for me is that I got to learn a great deal, much more than I could have ever learned sitting in a classroom or reading a book on the topic: for a whole week I had the opportunity to sit in meetings with key negotiators of the South African peace process, with the politicians who worked on drafting the first democratic Constitution, with Constitutional Court judges and disarmament experts. I listened to Deputy President Mothlante and representatives from the ruling party discuss the present challenges the country needs to face, and heard members of both the old apartheid regime and the ANC contribute their different perspectives and insights. I visited Nelson Mandela’s cell on Robben Island and his house in Soweto, as well as the apartheid museum; I talked to former political prisoners and exiles and realised that what I knew about apartheid and the struggle for liberation was not nearly enough. I learned much more about the Kurdish issue in Turkey as well, and had the opportunity to watch members of opposing parties interact and build relationships and trust. I learned that the fact that I do not agree with a party’s political stance does not imply that its members must be evil or despicable. This might sound silly to many of you, but trust me, giving a face and connecting a memory to each name makes even watching the news and following the current developments a much richer experience.  During the trip, I got to truly understand how DPI works and the real-world impact of the research and planning going on in the office. By providing a neutral framework within which the actors can learn, build trust and discuss issues, DPI is actively contributing to the resolution of the Kurdish issue. The level of interaction I found among the core group members, despite their different political affiliation, was astonishing and for me totally unexpected. DPI gave me the opportunity to experience conflict resolution first-hand, and I will never be able to stress enough how important this is. Oh, and did I mention we spent two days in a safari reserve? Now, I am not saying that as you apply you will be put on a plane to an awesome faraway land, but DPI embarks on these kinds of initiatives on quite a regular base, between Comparative Study Visits and Roundtable Meetings. So it might not be guaranteed, but I would say it is at least likely. And if you do get lucky and are actually taken along to the aforementioned awesome faraway land, I feel compelled to warn you that it is not all moonlight and roses. You might need some survival tips! The first problem you will have to deal with is that you are most likely going to be new to DPI and its work, and you might feel a little intimidated and out of place. The day I left for South Africa was my absolute first day of work and I can positively tell you that I had no idea of what I was doing. A major piece of advice would be to fake it and just pretend you know exactly what is going on around you, but I found out the hard way that the good ole “fake it until you make it” does not always work. I am pretty sure I looked awkward and terrified for at least the first three days, but even then you are the one behind the camera, (I had to take photos documenting the entire visit) so no worries – there won’t be any evidence left behind. If you really don’t know what to do, then ask questions. If you are not sure about who is who, which is very likely to happen, or you just want some feedback to figure out if you actually are being terribly awkward, staff are always there to answer questions. They have been there, they have done that. Everyone has to start from somewhere, so there is no need to be intimidated. Secondly, do not underestimate the workload. I admit I had no idea as to the amount of work I was taking on by accepting to go to South Africa until I got there. This is not intended to deter you, but just to warn you: be prepared, you will have to work hard. Lastly, know that your internship is not going to be all as awesome as your week/weekend/day on a DPI trip. You are going to come back, and you are going to look at the awful amount of notes you have taken and panic. You are going to sit there and listen to the recordings over and over again, and wonder why you did this to yourself – because it was an awesome learning experience that you would have not gotten any other way, that’s why. Always keep that in mind! And office life is far from being boring anyway. The internship might be demanding, but the environment is cheerful and friendly and everyone is always willing to help you, be it a fellow intern or a member of the staff. Concerning the more “mundane” tasks you will be expected to carry out, such as making coffee, covering the reception desk or cutting bushes – yes, cutting bushes – as an intern you would be expected to perform those tasks anywhere, so you’d better do it with a smile on your face! And hey, that is learning too. Next job I get, I will not be the girl who had to ask guidance about how to use a cafétière. Alice Curci, July 2013  – See more at: http://www.careers.lon.ac.uk/blog/ppp/index.php/2013/08/08/diary-of-an-intern-dpi/#sthash.p3xIpKKY.dpuf
25/07/2013 During this visit, hosted by the Irish Government, participants from Turkey’s BDP party met with key actors from the Irish peace process, to discuss issues relating to conflict resolution. The aim of the visit was to examine the peace process in Northern Ireland, to gain a deeper understanding of consolidating lessons already learned during previous, larger-scale DPI Comparative Study Visits, which have already taken place as part of DPI’s Turkey programme. For a full briefing on this visit: Download briefing here [PDF]. DPI Director Kerim Yildiz, Ayla Akat Ata, Gültan Kışanak, Ahmet Türk, advisor to former Irish Prime Minister Martin Mansergh, former President of the Law Society of Northern Ireland Norville Connolly, Aysel Tuğluk, Ian White of the Glencree Centre for Peace and Reconciliation, DPI Programme Manager Eleanor Johnson and Nazmi Gür following a roundtable meeting at the Dáil Éireann, Dublin
15/07/2013 The paper summarizes and analyses the Good Friday Agreement as a centrepiece of the Northern Irish conflict resolution process. It offers an overview of the main actors, negotiations and agreements as well as presenting observations and lessons learned from the process. Download here [PDF]
30/06/2013 The Democratic Progress Institute (DPI) this weekend held a roundtable meeting at Mardin’s Artuklu University, Turkey, on the subject of the relationship between the State and the Media (both local and national), and its effect on conflict resolution. Participants included some of Turkey’s most renowned journalists and media personalities, representing national, regional and local television and newspaper media from throughout Turkey; as well as representatives from civil society, including from women’s organisations, human rights associations and others; senior academics, key individuals from the world of art and literature, members of parliament and policy makers. Panel speakers at the roundtable included international and Turkey based conflict resolution and media experts and practitioners. Speakers from Turkey included Doğan Akın (journalist and founder of Turkey’s T24) and Professor Mahmut Mutman (of İstanbul Şehir University). International speakers included Tom Kelly, former spokesperson for Tony Blair during the Northern Ireland peace process, Owen Bowcott of the London based Guardian Newspaper and David Gorman of the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue. The roundtable meeting examined issues of media engagement with conflict resolution and peacebuilding, media’s role as a facilitator of conflict resolution, the role of language in the media, the influence of social media on the public perceptions of peace processes, the challenges and obstacles faced by the media in supporting democratic processes and maintaining independence and the importance of media in garnering public support for democratic processes. DPI Council of Experts member Cengiz Çandar said of the roundtable: ‘It has been a very valuable meeting. Participants have gained very much from today’s speakers and from the discussion, which has been lively and engaged’. Previous DPI activities in this series have seen participants visit London, Belfast, Edinburgh, Dublin, Cardiff and South Africa, and take part in roundtable discussions on diverse subjects including conflict resolution, constitutional arrangements, devolution in the Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish contexts, language and identity issues across the United Kingdom, and democratic transition in South Africa. Other roundtable meetings have focused on issues relating to media, civil society and gender’s role in conflict resolution. The response to these activities has been highly positive, with extensive media coverage and a continuation of discussion occurring as a result. Other DPI future activities and roundtable meetings are planned within Turkey and elsewhere. Future studies are intended to take place in numerous relevant parts of the world. Records of all of DPI’s Comparative Studies visits have been published and are available via the Institute’s website. A record including all of the discussions in this roundtable meeting will be published and made available on DPI’s website. For any further information please contact Eleanor Johnson at ejohnson@democraticprogress.org.
24/06/2013 http://hurarsiv.hurriyet.com.tr/goster/ShowNew.aspx?id=23570386
24/06/2013 http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jun/24/turkey-protests-peace-process-kurdish-rebels/print
17/06/2013 This paper provides a comprehensive background on the Colombian peace process and identifies key elements necessary to improve the chances of a successful resolution to the conflict. Download here [PDF]
09/05/2013 Participants returned yesterday from the Democratic Progress Institute’s Comparative Study Visit to South Africa, which was hosted by the South African government, and took place from 30th April – 7th May 2013. The aim of the visit was to explore the South African experience of conflict resolution and the transition to democracy. Participants in the visit included Members of Parliament from all of Turkey’s main political parties, Nursuna Memecan, Mehmet Tekelioğlu and Burhan Kayatürk, members of the ruling Justice and Development Party  (AK Party), Sezgin Tanrıkulu and Levent Gök, members of the Republican People’s Party  (CHP) and Nazmi Gür, Ayla Akat and Ertuğrul Kürkçü, members of the Peace and Democracy Party (BDP), as well as renowned journalists, writers,  academics  and civil society representatives and members of Turkey’s Wise Person’s Committee; Cengiz Çandar, Bejan Matur, Ahmet İnsel, Havva Kök, Mehmet Asutay, Hatem Ete, Yılmaz Ensaroğlu, Mithat Sancar and Ali Bayramoğlu. The Participants met with and engaged in discussions with key individuals involved in South Africa’s transition to democracy including Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe, Roelf Meyer, formerly South Africa’s Minister of Defence and chief negotiator for the South African government, and numerous other high level key players within South Africa’s government, political parties and democratic institutions, who shared their direct and personal experiences of democratic change within South Africa. Topics covered included disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration (DDR), the South African Truth and Reconciliation process, and the Constitution making process in South Africa among others. In addition to these discussions a number of cultural visits were made including visits to Robben Island and Soweto, and a Safari in the Kruger National Park area deepening the participant’s understanding of the political and cultural context of South Africa’s transition. DPI’s Council of Expert member, Cengiz Çandar said of the visit: ‘It has been extremely valuable and much has been gained by participants in terms of learning and the sharing of experience. Discussion has been lively throughout the week and we hope it will continue after the visit’.   DPI Director Kerim Yıldız also stated that ‘the visit to South Africa hosted by the South African government has been very valuable indeed and we hope it will contribute to the current positive developments taking place in Turkey. The roundtable meetings that have taken place with government officials and other experts in areas of DDR, constitution making, women’s role in conflict resolution and negotiation have all been extremely beneficial.’ Previous activities of DPI’s Turkey programme include comparative study visits to the United Kingdom, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, as well as roundtable activities on various subjects in Turkey and Europe. It is intended that studies of other relevant situations will take place in future. Records of all of DPI’s activities including the comparative study visits are available via DPI’s website in Turkish and English: www.democraticprogress.org. DPI news is also available via DPI’s Twitter account (@DPI_UK). For further information please contact Eleanor Johnson at ejohnson@democraticprogress.org
29/04/2013 At the invitation of the South African Government, DPI is organising a Comparative Study Visit to South Africa, to take place from 30th April – 7th May 2013, which will explore South African experience of conflict resolution and the transition to democracy. Participants in the visit will include Members of Parliament from Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party), Republican People’s Party (CHP) and Peace and Democracy Party (BDP), as well as renowned journalists, academics and civil society representatives. They will meet with high level key players within the South African government, political parties and democratic institutions who will share their direct and personal experiences of democratic change within South Africa. Topics which will be covered include Disarmament, Remobilisation and Reintegration, the South African Truth and Reconciliation process, and the Constitution making process in South Africa among others. In addition to these discussions a number of cultural visits will be made including visits to Robben Island and Soweto. DPI Director, Kerim Yildiz said of the visit: ‘Extremely important developments are currently taking place in Turkey, providing a means for people to look to the future. I believe that this visit will provide an opportunity for the sharing of experiences and learning, and that hope it will contribute to the success of the ongoing process in Turkey’. Previous activities of DPI’s Turkey programme include the United Kingdom, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, as well as roundtable activities on various subjects in Turkey. Future studies are intended to take place in other relevant parts of the world. Records of all of DPI’s activities are available via DPI’s website: www.democraticprogress.org. A record including all of the discussions in South Africa will be available from DPI and news of the visit will appear via DPI’s Twitter account (DPI_UK). For further information please contact Eleanor Johnson at ejohnson@democraticprogress.org
15/04/2013 DPI Council of Experts member Jonathan Powell speaking at a conference in Diyarbakir, Turkey, in April 2013. Fellow DPI Council of Experts member Cengiz Çandar was moderator of the event.
08/04/2013 ‘The Role of Civil Society in Conflict Resolution’ – Roundtable meeting in Istanbul, Turkey, 6 April 2012. The Democratic Progress Institute (DPI) this weekend held a roundtable meeting at Point Hotel, in Istanbul, Turkey, on the subject of civil society’s role in conflict resolution. Among participants were some of Turkey’s most renowned journalists and media personalities, representing both national, regional and local television and newspaper media from throughout Turkey; representatives from civil society including from women’s organisations, human rights associations and others; lawyers; senior academics; and key individuals from the art and literature worlds. Panel speakers at the roundtable included international and Turkey based conflict resolution experts and key figures from Turkey’s society. Speakers from Turkey were Ali Bayramoğlu (Yeni Şafak), Cengiz Çandar (Radikal), Cengiz Aktar (Taraf), Ayşe Betül Çelik (Sabanci University), Bejan Matur (poet and writer) and Etyen Mahçupyan (Zaman, TESEV). Avila Kilmurray, a key actor and civil society representative within Northern Ireland’s peace process also spoke at the meeting. This activity is part of DPI’s Turkey programme, which has included a series of roundtable meetings both in Turkey and internationally. The roundtable meeting examined issues of civil society’s engagement with conflict resolution and peacebuilding and the importance of civil society in democratic processes. Previous DPI activities in this series have seen participants visit London, Belfast, Edinburgh, Dublin and Cardiff, and take part in roundtable discussions on diverse subjects including conflict resolution, constitutional arrangements, devolution in the Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish contexts, and language and identity issues across the United Kingdom. The response to these activities has been highly positive, with extensive media coverage and a continuation of discussion occurring as a result. Other DPI future activities are planned within Turkey and elsewhere. Future studies are intended to take place in numerous relevant parts of the world. Records of all of DPI’s Comparative Studies visits have been published and are available via the Institute’s website. A record including all of the discussions in this roundtable meeting will be published and made available on DPI’s website. For any further information please contact Eleanor Johnson at ejohnson@democraticprogress.org.
25/02/2013 Linguistic minorities and the majorities with whom they co-exist have traditionally been embroiled in conflict. In the last decades of the twentieth-century the European Union opened dialogue with, and offered support to the minorities in the context of an emerging European citizenship and deeper European integration. Although the process of EU integration has faltered, at least in the short term, this paper argues that the placing of minority languages within a comparative framework and a wider context of cultural diversity has become more relevant within a globalising economy, and that the earlier European experience deserves revisiting and may call for some rethinking by majorities and minorities of the way they think of each other. Download Here [PDF]
19/02/2013 This report details the discussion that took place during the Democratic Progress Institute’s roundtable meeting in Istanbul, Turkey on 14th November 2012, regarding the role that local media can play in conflict resolution.  The media are crucial actors in peace building and democratic reform at local, national and international levels, and can influence and shape debate. Download Here [PDF] Download Here [Türkçe] [PDF]
18/02/2013 DPI Strategic Retreat – Held at Hintlesham Hall, Ipswich on the 4-5 February 2013. DPI staff, Board of Directors and a number of Council of Experts members spent a two-day Strategic Retreat in Suffolk this month.

In The Media

Article in Sivil Sayfalar 'DPI’den İnanç Gruplarının ve Dini Liderlerin Çatışma Çözümündeki Rolü Toplantısı…' 

Sivil Sayfalar writes about DPI's Comparative Study Visit focusing on the role of religious leaders in conflict resolution. 

Read more here.

 

Article by Yıldız Ramazanoğlu 'İrlanda'da din adamları'

Yıldız Ramazanoğlu wrote following her visit to Dublin and Belfast, where she participated in DPI's Comparative Study Visit focusing on the role of religious leaders in conflict resolution.

Read more here.

 

 

Article by Nihal Bengisu Karaca '"Analar ağlamasın" bir bütündür, bölünemez'

Nihal Bengisu Karaca wrote about her recent trip to London, where she partook in DPI's Comparative Study Visit that focused on the role of women in conflict resolution. 

Read more here.

 

 

PRESS RELEASE - Comparative Study Visit: The Role of Religious Leaders in Peace and Reconciliation

Dublin and Belfast, 3 – 8 September 2019

The Democratic Progress Institute (DPI), will carry out a Comparative Study Visit (CSV) on the role of religious leaders in peace process and reconciliation from 3 – 8 September 2019. Over the course of the visit, participants will travel to Dublin and Belfast, during which they will have the opportunity to meet with key figures who played significant roles in the conflict resolution process in Northern Ireland, as well as those who continue to work hard in maintaining peace and interreligious harmony. They will share their expertise on a range of themes that will provide participants with an in-depth understanding of the role of religious leaders in Northern Ireland.

The CSV forms part of a larger series of activities planned in the context of the project: “Supporting inclusive dialogue at a challenging time in Turkey”. In line with DPI’s usual practice, a full record of discussions from the CSV’s meetings will be published and made available on the Institute’s webpage at www.democraticprogress.org. For further information on this CSV, please contact DPI’s Deputy Director Ville Forsman at vforsman@democraticprogress.org or Esra Elmas DPI’s Head of Turkey Programme at eelmas@democraticprogress.org.

 

Article by Oral Çalışlar - 'Ali Kemal’in torunu Boris' August 2019

28/08/2019

Oral Çalışlar writes about DPI following his recent visit to London.

Ali Kemal’in torunu Boris

Article by Nagehan Alçı 'Moskova-Pekin trenindeki o gizemli Türk kadın' June 2019

30/06/2019

Nagehan Alçı discusses her experiences following DPI's Comparative Study Visit to South Africa in June 2019.

Moskova-Pekin trenindeki o gizemli Türk kadın

Article on DPI's South Afrcia CSV 'Güney Afrika’da demokrasiye geçiş süreçleri tartışıldı' June 2019

19/06/2019

9-16 Haziran tarihleri arasında Güney Afrika’daki ‘barış süreci ve çözüm ortaklıkları’ başlığı altında gerçekleştirilen çalışma ziyaretinde, ülkenin inşa sürecinin yanı sıra demokrasiye geçiş süreçleri de tartışıldı. Türkiye’den birçok temsilcinin katıldığı etkinlikle ilgili DPI Baş Yöneticisi Kerim Yıldız, söz konusu ziyaretin katılımcılara, Güney Afrika’daki çözüm sürecinin kilit yönlerini öğrenmek ve tartışmak, sürecin başarı ve zorlukları hakkında tecrübelerini paylaşmak için değerli bir fırsat sunduğunu ifade etti.

Güney Afrika’da demokrasiye geçiş süreçleri tartışıldı

Article by Oral Çalışlar 'Güney Afrika’nın Gandi’si: İbrahim...' June 2019

11/06/2019

Oral Çalışlar discusses his experience of DPI's Comparative Study Visit to South Africa.

Article by Oral Çalışlar 'Güney Afrika’nın Gandi’si: İbrahim...'

Article by Mahmut Bozarslan 'Irk Ayrımından Sınıf Ayrımına Güney Afrika' June 2019

10/06/2019

Mahmut Bozarslan discusses his experience of DPI's Comparative Study Visit to South Africa.

Article by Mahmut Bozarslan 'Irk Ayrımından Sınıf Ayrımına Güney Afrika'

PRESS RELEASE –  COMPARATIVE STUDY VISIT: Bringing a process back on track: Lessons Learnt from the South Africa experience

Pretoria and Cape Town, 9-16 June 2019

The Democratic Progress Institute (DPI) will, as planned, carry out a second Comparative Study Visit (CSV) in South Africa over the next 8 days that brings together a diverse group of participants from across Turkey’s many constituencies. Over the course of the visit, participants will travel to Pretoria and Cape Town where, in a series of meetings with officials, policy makers and other relevant groups and practitioners, the architecture of the South Africa’s process and transition to democracy will be discussed. Participants will have the opportunity to engage the first-hand experiences of key people who played significant roles in the conflict resolution process and continue to play important roles today. They will share their expertise on a range of themes that will provide participants with an in-depth understanding of the formal peace process in South Africa as well as what has happened since the negotiations came to an end.

DPI’s Chief Executive Officer Mr Kerim Yildiz said of the forthcoming CSV: ‘we hope that this timely comparative study visit will provide this group of participants with a valuable opportunity to learn and discuss the key aspects of the South African resolution process by having conversations and sharing experiences of the successes and difficulties encountered with experts and actors involved in the process.’

The CSV forms part of a larger series of activities planned in the context of the project: “Supporting inclusive dialogue at a challenging time in Turkey”. Future activities include ongoing roundtable meetings and comparative study visits planned within Turkey and other parts of the world, including countries that have had peace processes.

In line with DPI’s usual practice, a full record of discussions from the CSV’s meetings will be published and made available on the Institute’s webpage at www.democraticprogress.org

For further information on this roundtable please contact DPI’s Deputy Director Ville Forsman at vforsman@democraticprogress.org or Esra Elmas DPI’s Head of Turkey Programme at eelmas@democraticprogress.org

 

Article by Prof. Dr. Sevtap Yokus “Çatışma Döneminden Barışa Dönük Süreçlere Geçiş Olanakları” January 2019

14/01/2019

Barış inşasında başarılı bir yönetime ihtiyaç vardır. Çatışma dönemlerinde bile düşmanı insan olmaktan
çıkarmamak, şeytanlaştırmamak gerekiyor.

Article by Prof. Dr. Sevtap Yokuş “Çatışma Döneminden Barışa Dönük Süreçlere Geçiş Olanakları” January 2019

Article by Zehra Kafkaslı “BARIŞ Düşmanı Dinlemekle Başlar” January 2019

14/01/2019

Article by Zehra Kafkaslı. Her iki tarafın da kendini anlatma ihtiyacı, çatışma çözümlerinde hayati. Burada siyaseten kimin haklıolduğu biraz geride kalması gereken bir konu haline geliyor.

Both sides need to express themselves vitally in resolving conflicts. Who’s political right here it is an issue that should be left behind.

Düşmanı Dinlemekle Başlar

“Akil insanlar: Meşruiyete açılan kapı” Kurdistan24, November 28, 2018

30/11/2018

Article by Vahap Coşkun

http://www.kurdistan24.net/tr/opinion/497d6765-d5bb-42d7-95a9-e3eb4f98e82c

“Oslo Toplantısı Yeni Çözüm Sürecine Hazırlık mı?” Amerikanesi, November 27, 2018

30/11/2018

https://www.amerikaninsesi.com/a/oslo-toplantısı-yeni-çözüm-sürecine-hazırlık-anlamına-mı-geliyor-/4675788.html

“Norveç’teki Akil İnsanlar buluşması – Konuk: Ahmet Faruk Ünsal”, Medyascope.tv, November 27, 2018

30/11/2018

Interview with Ahmet Faruk Ünsal.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-lkJwhZuLKU

“Sahip olduğunuz tek şey çekiçse…” Karar, November, 28 2018

30/11/2018

Article by Yıldıray Oğur

http://www.karar.com/yazarlar/yildiray-ogur/sahip-oldugunuz-tek-sey-cekicse-8525# 

PRESS RELEASE – ROUNDTABLE: Lessons Learnt from International Experiences of Conflict Resolution. Ankara, 29 September 2018

02/10/2018

PRESS RELEASE – 29 September 2018

 Contact: DPI’s Deputy Director Sally Holt at sholt@democraticprogress.org or Esra Elmas, Head of Turkey Programme eelmas@democraticprogress.org

ROUNDTABLE: Lessons Learnt from International Experiences of Conflict Resolution

 Ankara, Turkey, 29 September 2018

Today the Democratic Progress Institute (DPI) held a Roundtable in Ankara entitled “Lessons Learnt from International Experiences of Conflict Resolution” with the aim of sustaining inclusive dialogue in Turkey, even in the most challenging times. While recognizing that every conflict is unique, the meeting drew on a series of country examples of peace and transition processes around the world, including in South Africa, the Philippines and Northern Ireland, which offer useful examples of principles, models and approaches that can guide conflict resolution and democratic advancement.

Participants of the event, including political party representatives, civil society and media figures, business people and academics, had the opportunity to discuss challenges, opportunities and lessons learnt with prominent conflict resolution experts and key actors with direct experience in these international cases. As the distinguished panelists of the event, former UN Under-Secretary Sir Kieran Prendergast, Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue’s Eurasia Regional Director David Gorman, former Presidential Advisor on the Philippines Peace Process Teresita Quintos Deles and former Chief Negotiator for the South African Government Roelf Meyer shared insights and valuable policy and civil society perspectives from their own experiences.

‘Yeni bir ‘çözüm süreci’ mi?’ Haber Turk, May 29, 2018

30/05/2018

Yeni bir ‘çözüm süreci’ mi?

http://www.haberturk.com/yazarlar/nihal-bengisu-karaca/1989409-yeni-bir-cozum-sureci-mi

‘Tsunami’de hapisten kaçtı, vali oldu…’ Posta, May 29, 2018

30/05/2018

Tsunami’de hapisten kaçtı, vali oldu…

http://www.posta.com.tr/yazarlar/oral-calislar/tsunamide-hapisten-kacti-vali-oldu-2006619

‘Heyet bu kez Oslo’d’ Hürriyet, May 25, 2018

30/05/2018

Heyet bu kez Oslo’d 

http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/gundem/heyet-bu-kez-osloda-40848506

‘Heyet bu kez Oslo’d’ Hürriyet, May 25, 2018

30/05/2018

Heyet bu kez Oslo’d 

http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/gundem/heyet-bu-kez-osloda-40848506

Barış Olmadan Demokrasi Olmaz

08/03/2017

Democratic Progress Institute (DPI), Ankara’da “Zor Dönemlerde Diyalogu Canlı Tutmak” başlıklı bir yuvarlak masa toplantısı düzenledi.

http://www.kurdistan24.net/tr/opinion/479fcce7-bfff-4eef-902d-222eb421cd34/Vahap-Co%C5%9Fkun

Kürt sorunu için İrlanda ve Filipinler dersleri

08/03/2017

DPI’ın Ankara’da düzenlediği yuvarlak masa toplantısında, eskiden nadir de olsa tecrübe ettiğimiz fakat son yıllarda hayalini bile kuramadığımız bir diyalog ortamında İrlanda ve Filipinler’i konuştuk… Ama kolayca tahmin edilebileceği gibi, Türkiyeli katılımcıların sorularıyla konu sıklıkla Türkiye’ye ve Kürt sorununa kaydı.

http://serbestiyet.com/yazarlar/alper-gormus/kurt-sorunu-icin-rlanda-ve-filipinler-dersleri-769763

Eski İrlanda Başbakanı Ahern Gazete Habertürk’e konuştu

10/10/2016

İrlanda’da “Hayırlı Cuma”nın mimarlarından Bertie Ahern, barış sürecini Balçiçek İlter’e anlattı.

http://www.haberturk.com/yasam/haber/1308037-eski-irlanda-basbakani-ahern-gazete-haberturke-konustu 

Kolluk gözetim komisyonu ve polisliğin çıkmazı

25/05/2016

Polisin, özellikle devletçi yerlerde, toplumun önünden gitme şansı hiçbir zaman yoktur ve basitçe söylemek gerekirse, toplumun gerisinde kalan bir kurumun zor gücünü her kullanışı toplumun siyasal-demokratik gelişimine –hafif bir tabirle- gem vurmak olur.

http://www.serbestiyet.com/yazarlar/a.erkan–koca/kolluk-gozetim-komisyonu-ve-polisligin-cikmazi-691074

Son Baskı 25 Nisan 2016

26/04/2016

Derin bilgi, açık fikir, isabetli yorum… Bekir Ağırdır, Hasan Bülent Kahraman, Ali Bayramoğlu doğru sözü söylemek için buluşuyor. Seda Öğretir yönetiminde Son Baskı Perşembe akşamları NTV’de.

http://www.ntv.com.tr/video/son-baski/son-baski-25-nisan-2016,f39AEXKAPE-Okk35ozMhlA 

Şimdi PKK ne yapar, devlet ne yapar?

24/04/2016

Bundan sonra PKK ne yapar, devlet ne yapar? Kötümser senaryo: PKK ‘kırlarda savaşa devam’, devlet ‘son terörist öldürülünceye kadar’ der… İyimser senaryo: Devlet maksimalist hedeflerinden taviz vermiş PKK ile yeniden konuşmaya başlar.

http://www.serbestiyet.com/yazarlar/alper-gormus/simdi-pkk-ne-yapar-devlet-ne-yapar-681912

Esas, umut, siyaset

23/04/2016

DPI’ın gözlem gezileri hızlandırılmış kurslara benzer. Bir hafta boyunca soluk almadan en üst düzeyden en operasyonel isimlere kadar uzanan aktörlerle derinlemesine görüşmeler yaparsınız.

http://www.yenisafak.com/yazarlar/alibayramoglu/esas-umut-siyaset-2028507  

Blair, Erdoğan, Santos…

22/04/2016

Kürt sorunu gibi köklü, toplumsal belleği tahrip etmiş, derin kutuplaşmalar üretmiş, binlerce cana mal olmuş çatışmaların çözümünde siyasi irade esastır. 

http://www.yenisafak.com/yazarlar/alibayramoglu/blair-erdogan-santos-2028478 

AKP, CHP, HDP heyeti barış süreci izlemesi için Kolombiya’da

21/04/2016

AKP, CHP, HDP’li vekiller ve Kadir İnanır, Kezban Hatemi ve Ali Bayramoğlu’nun da yer aldığı delegasyon, Kolombiya ziyaretini sürdürüyor.

http://www.evrensel.net/haber/278099/akp-chp-hdp-heyeti-baris-sureci-izlemesi-icin-kolombiyada

Bir barış öyküsü…

21/04/2016

Kolombiya’da, kanlı bir çatışmaya son vermek üzere olan barış sürecinin izini sürüyoruz. FARC (Kolombiya Devrimci Silahlı Kuvvetleri) ile devlet arasında, son bir yılı Küba’da, Havana’da süren 4 yıllık müzakereler son aşamasına yaklaşıyor.

http://www.yenisafak.com/yazarlar/alibayramoglu/bir-baris-oykusu-2028445 

Levent Gök Kolombiya’da

21/04/2016

Demokratik Gelişim Enstitüsü’nün (DPI) Türkiye programı kapsamında Kolombiya’ya gerçekleştirdiği karşılaştırmalı çalışma ziyaretinin 19 Nisan Salı günkü programında Türkiye delegasyonu Kolombiya Devlet Başkanı Juan Manuel Santos ile bir araya geldi. Heyette CHP Grup Başkanvekili Levent Gök de yer aldı.

http://www.gercekgundem.com/dunya/203677/levent-gok-kolombiyada 

Türk heyeti barış sürecini inceliyor

21/04/2016

AKP, CHP, HDP’li vekiller ve Kadir İnanır, Kezban Hatemi ve Ali Bayramoğlu’nun da yer aldığı delegasyon, Kolombiya ziyaretini sürdürüyor.

http://www.palo.com.tr/a/akp-chp-ve-hdp-heyetleri-bar%C4%B1%C5%9F-s%C3%BCreci-i%C3%A7in-kolombiya-da-1391267

Şiddet ve korku diyarı…

20/04/2016

Bizi Kolombiya’ya götüren, bu ülkenin yıllardır süren, ağır, yüzbinlerin hayatına mal olan, kaos ve şiddeti sıradanlaştıran bir çatışma yaşaması… Ve 60 yıllık bu çatışmayı sonlandırmak için başlatılmış çözüm süreci…

http://www.yenisafak.com/yazarlar/alibayramoglu/siddet-ve-korku-diyari-2028416 

CHP, HDP ve AK Partili heyet Kolombiya’ya gitti

20/04/2016

DPI’ın Türkiye programı çerçevesinde bundan önce İrlanda, İngiltere, İskoçya, Güney Afrika ve Filipinler’e yaptığı karşılaştırmalı çalışma ziyaretleri serisinin devamı niteliğindeki Kolombiya ziyareti, Kolombiya hükümeti ev sahipliğinde gerçekleşiyor ve dünyanın farklı ülkelerindeki çatışma çözümü süreçlerini yerinde incelemek amacını taşıyor.

http://www.beyazbalikesir.com/chp-hdp-ve-ak-partili-heyet-kolombiyaya-gitti/ 

CHP, HDP ve AK Partili heyet Kolombiya’ya gitti

20/04/2016

Kolombiya’daki barış sürecini yerinde incelemek üzere, siyasetçiler, akil insanlar ve akademisyenlerden bazıları Bogota’ya gitti.

http://www.ensonhaber.com/chp-hdp-ve-ak-partili-heyet-kolombiyaya-gitti-2016-04-20.html

4 EVLİLİK PROGRAMIYLA BAŞ EDEMEYEN TÜRKİYE

20/04/2016

Evlilik programları için, “Ülkeye şöyle faydaları var” diyebilecek biri var mı?
Yok…

http://www.milliyet.com.tr/4-evlilik-programiyla-bas/magazin/ydetay/2230153/default.htm  

Kolombiya yolunda…

19/04/2016

ilk gezi 2011 yılındaydı. Londra, Dublin ve Belfast’a gitmiştik. Kısa adı DPI olan Demokratik Gelişim Enstitüsünün düzenlediği Kürt meselesine benzer çatışmaların çözümlerine dair bu ilk gözlem ve inceleme gezisine, mecliste temsil edilen (MHP haricinde) siyasi partilerin temsilcileri, çeşitli köşe yazarları ve akademisyenler katılmış ve gezi oldukça ses getirmişti

http://www.yenisafak.com/yazarlar/alibayramoglu/kolombiya-yolunda-2028350

Son Baskı 18 Nisan 2016

19/04/2016

Derin bilgi, açık fikir, isabetli yorum… Bekir Ağırdır, Hasan Bülent Kahraman, Ali Bayramoğlu doğru sözü söylemek için buluşuyor. Seda Öğretir yönetiminde Son Baskı Perşembe akşamları NTV’de.

http://www.ntv.com.tr/video/son-baski/son-baski-18-nisan-2016,CqRJs4QWMEOfZ7XYPzVakQ 

Kadir İnanır Kolombiya’da

18/04/2016

Demokratik Gelişim Enstütüsü (DPI) 16-23 Nisan tarihleri arasında Kolombiya’daki barış sürecini yerinde incelemek üzere, siyasetçiler, akil insanlar heyeti üyeleri ve akademisyenlerden oluşan bir heyetle Kolombiya’nın başkenti Bogota’ya gitti. 

 http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/kadir-inanir-kolombiyada-40090855 

Belfast’ta duvarla gelen barış…

16/04/2016

İskoçya ve İngiltere’nin adeta karşı kıyısı olan Belfast bir liman şehri… İlk bakıldığında katedrali, eski dokulu binaları, pub’ları, uluslararası markaların bulunduğu alışveriş merkezleri ile tipik bir kuzeyli. Ama Belfast’ın merkezindeki otelimize girdiğinizde tarih yüzümüze çarpıyor: “Burası Kuzey İrlanda’nın en çok bombalanmış oteli”.

http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/duvarla-gelen-baris-40089271

Savaş davullarıyla ortada kalmak

11/04/2016

Şimdilerde maalesef, Türkiye’deki çözüm sürecinde bir kesinti yaşanıyor. Kimileri bunu mutlak ve değişmeyecek bir hal sanıyor. Bundan olsa gerek sonuna kadar gitmekten, artık masaya oturmamaktan, müzakerenin lafının dahi edilmemesi gerektiğinden, idamın geri getirilmesinden falan bahsediyorlar. Taraflardan daha cengâver bir tutum içindeler. Hazin bir durum.

http://serbestiyet.com/yazarlar/vahap-coskun/savas-davullariyla-ortada-kalmak-678637

Barış için tek yol var: Diyalog, diyalog, diyalog!

06/04/2016

Geçen hafta Demokratik Gelişim Enstitüsü’nün düzenlediği İrlanda çalışma gezisi kapsamında Dublin ve Belfast’ta çeşitli temaslarda bulunduk.

http://t24.com.tr/yazarlar/nurcan-baysal/baris-icin-tek-yol-var-diyalog-diyalog-diyalog,14265

IRA tecrübesi de gösteriyor ki; PKK çıplak!

29/03/2016

Dünyanın başka yerlerinde de etnik-dini-mezhebi temelli, çözülmüş ya da süren çatışmalar var. Bu sorun ilk kez Türkiye’nin başına gelmedi yani.

http://www.star.com.tr/mobil/mobilyazar.asp?Newsid=1099386 

IRA’nın medyası yoktu terörü övmek suçtu

27/03/2016

Good Friday-Hayırlı Cuma anlaşması 18. yılına girerken IRA barışını sorduğumuz İrlandalılara göre meselenin özü: Siyaset yolu açıkken silah kullanmanın mazereti yoktur. Medyanın terörü yüreklendirmesine izin verilemez.

http://www.star.com.tr/mobil/mobilyazar.asp?Newsid=1099105

İNCE FİKİR

26/03/2016

Gazeteci Fadime Özkan ve Hukukçu Özlem Zengin’nin sunumuyla ekranlara gelen ‘İnce Fikir’ programının bu haftaki konukları Hukukçu-Avukat Kezban Hatemi ve Kemerburgaz Üniversitesi Öğretim Üyesi Prof. Dr. Sevtap Yokuş ve DPI Baş Danışmanı Esra Elmaz oldu. Programda terör ve çözüm konusu değerlendirildi.

http://www.izle7.com/ulketv/izle-13478-ince-fikir-26-mart-2016.html

Dublin’den Kandil’e: Nereden nereye?

21/03/2016

Bir grup siyasetçi, akademisyen ve gazeteci olarak, IRA sürecini anlayıp dinlemek ve ülkemiz yararına tecrübe devşirebilmek için Türkiye’den kalkıp Dublin’e geldiğimiz 2014 Nisan’ında, Kraliçe Elizabeth de tarihi bir kabule hazırlanıyordu.

http://www.star.com.tr/mobil/mobilyazar.asp?Newsid=1097572 

In The Media - 2013-2015

DPI in the media 2013 – 2015

http://t24.com.tr/yazarlar/omer-faruk-gergerlioglu/en-zor-anda-barisi-nasil-kurtarabiliriz-tekrar-insa-ederiz,13398 [7/12/2015]

http://www.omerfarukgergerlioglu.com/k12-kose-yazilarim/h1334-tahir-elcinin-olumunun-ardindan.html [2/12/2015]

http://t24.com.tr/yazarlar/omer-faruk-gergerlioglu/cozumun-sirri-konusmak-sureklilik-samimiyet–2,12895 [8/10/2015]

http://t24.com.tr/yazarlar/omer-faruk-gergerlioglu/cozumun-sirri-konusmak-sureklilik-samimiyet–1,12891 [7/10/2015]

http://www.radikal.com.tr/yazarlar/oral-calislar/hdp-pkk-ile-baglarini-koparsin-mi-1445864/ [6/10/2015]

http://www.radikal.com.tr/yazarlar/oral-calislar/irayla-10-yil-gizli-gorustuk-1445245/ [5/10/2015]

http://ozgur-gundem.com/yazi/133595/musluman-gerillalar [7/07/2015]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=es6BLIvHdrk [3/07/2015]

http://www.diyadinnet.com/HABER-181662-filipinlerdeki-bar%C4%B1%C5%9F-s%C3%BCreci-ankara [3/07/2015]

http://haber.star.com.tr/yazar/catismayi-bitirmenin-en-medeni-yolu-muzakeredir/yazi-1041089  [3/07/2015]

http://www.cumhuriyet.com.tr/koseyazisi/311661/Filipinler_deki_baris_sureci.html [2/07/15]

www.youtube.com/watch?v=7JTnouCf27y [2/07/2015]

http://www.cumhuriyet.com.tr/koseyazisi/311661/Filipinler_deki_baris_sureci.html [2/07/2015]

http://haber.star.com.tr/yazar/ayriligin-onundeki-en-buyuk-engel-baristir/yazi-1040829#.VZR0HJezvF0.twitter [2/07/2015]

http://haber.star.com.tr/yazar/halkimdan-barisi–esirgemeyecegim/haber-1040528 [1/07/2015]

http://www.haber.star.com.tr/yazar/moro-barisinda-turkiye-ucuncu-taraf/yazi-1040232#.VZKY0Mc_OWh.twitter [30/06/2015]

http://www.ozgur-gundem.com/yazi/133555/cozum-surecini-ciddiye-alin [30/06/2015]

http://beta.trtworld.com/news.php?q=turkey-turkeys-wise-men-visit-philippines-over-peace-process-3885 [29/06/2015]

http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/group-researching-peace-with-kurds-received-by-milf——.aspx?pageID=238&nid=84653 [28/06/2015]

http://www.worldbulletin.net/news/161343/milf-norm-for-turkeys-solution-process [28/06/2015]

http://www.aa.com.tr/en/politics/545273–group-researching-peace-with-kurds-reaches-mindanao [27/6/2015]

http://www.luwaran.com/index.php/new/item/456-btc-receives-turkish-delegation [27/06/2015]

http://www.news.pia.gov.ph/article/view/1521435371292/delegates-of-democratic-progress-institute-visit-armm [27/06/2015]

http://m.yenisafak.com.tr/yazarlar/alibayramoglu/haci-murat-2014687 [27/06/2015]

http://www.bangsamoroonline.com/index.php/component/k2/item/318-btc-receives-turkish-delegation [27/06/2015]

http://www.armm-info.com/2015/06/democratic-progress-institute-delegates-visit-armm.html [26/06/2015]

http://www.newsfultoncounty.com/politics/news/264000-group-researching-peace-with-kurds-reaches-mindanao [26/06/2015]

http://www.mb.com.ph/bbl-should-not-be-a-bargaining-chip-to-demilitarize-milf-romualdez/ [26/06/2015]

http://www.mb.com.ph/high-level-turkey-delegation-visits-ph-to-learn-about-peace-talks/ [25/06/2015]

http://news.videonews.us/philippines-lauds-turkeys-involvement-in-peace-talks-2425992.html [24/06/2015]

http://www.aa.com.tr/en/rss/543757–philippines-lauds-turkeys-involvement-in-peace-talks?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter [24/06/2015]

http://serbestiyet.com/yazarlar/vahap-coskun/secimler-gelir-gider-kalici-olan-baristir-145297 [18/05/15]

http://serbestiyet.com/Yazarlar/sinn-fein-ile-bir-gun-144770 [14/05/15]

http://serbestiyet.com/yazarlar/vahap-coskun/gecmisi-gecmis-kilmak-144421 [11/05/15]

 http://www.tvarsivi.com/kanal24-28-04-2015-1426292y.html [28/04/15]

http://serbestiyet.com/Yazarlar/pkk-ira-turkiye-irlanda-142406 [27/04/15]

http://www.radikal.com.tr/yazarlar/oral_calislar/iranin_oldurdugu_prens_charlesin_buyuk_amcasi-1342654 [24/04/15]

http://serbestiyet.com/yazarlar/oral-calislar/iranin-oldurdugu-prens-charlesin-buyuk-amcasi-141972 [24/04/15]

http://www.medyatakip.com/medya_sistem/gb_videooynat.php?gnosif=vpo2sxlUzbHkYpWE8FxI1Q..&mnosif=NRpz4draJOQ.&st=2 [22/04/15]

http://www.radikal.com.tr/turkiye/kadir_inanir_irlandada_elini_cekenin_eli_yanar-1341173 [22/04/15]

http://www.milliyet.com.tr/baris-gelene-kadar-en-onde-olacagim-gundem-2047840/ [22/04/15]

http://www.medyatakip.com/medya_sistem/gb_videooynat.php?gnosif=vpo2sxlUzbHkYpWE8FxI1Q..&mnosif=NRpz4draJOQ.&st=2  [22/04/15]

http://www.yenisafak.com.tr/yazarlar/alibayramoglu/bir-irlanda-mektubu-liderden-lidere-2010304 [22/04/15]

http://www.radikal.com.tr/yazarlar/oral_calislar/ira_silahlari_nasil_gomdu-1339860 [21/04/15]

http://www.yenisafak.com.tr/yazarlar/alibayramoglu/silah-birakma-dublin-dpi-2010280 [21/04/15]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xiv-z3kaOQE [21/04/15]

http://serbestiyet.com/yazarlar/oral-calislar/iranin-oldurdugu-prens-charlesin-buyuk-amcasi-141972 [21/04/15]

http://www.radikal.com.tr/yazarlar/cengiz_candar/cozum_sureci_iyimserlik_ve_umutlar-1328442  [05/04/15]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KTJprpE1mr4 [03/04/15]

http://m.radikal.com.tr/politika/ingilterenin_hakan_fidani_ocalandan_goruntulu_mesaj_taviz_degildir-1309339/ [09/03/15]

http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/kurdish-peace-negotiators-on-verge-of-political-talks-british-mediator.aspx?pageID=238&nID=79364&NewsCatID=338/ [09/03/15]

http://serbestiyet.com/irlandanin-cozum-surecinden-can-alici-notlar/ [05/03/15]

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=zuw3bhcKTOc/ [05/03/15]

http://haber.star.com.tr/acikgorus/karmasik-bir-tarihiniz-varsa–karmasik-bir-cozum-bulmak-zorundasiniz/haber-1004910/[28/02/15]

http://ulketv.com.tr/canli-yayin [25/02/15]

http://haber.star.com.tr/yazar/baris-isteyen-dilini-isirsin/yazi-1003302#.VO5g_fGLtK5.twitter [24/02/15]

http://m.t24.com.tr/yazarlar/nurcan-baysal/kuzey-irlanda-baris-surecine-hazirlik-tik-tak-donemi,11348 [23/02/15]

http://platform24.org/guncel/760/barisa-giden-yol-ve-irlanda-deneyimi [23/02/15]

http://haber.star.com.tr/yazar/her-konuda-anlasmadikca-hicbir-konuda-anlasmis-sayilmazsiniz/yazi-1002993#.VOrUchmrXbU.twitter [23/02/15]

http://www.dailysabah.com/politics/2014/07/28/ensaroglu-predicts-reconciliation-process-be-more-determined-after-the-presidential-election [29/07/14]

http://www.agos.com.tr/cozum-sureci-icin-irade-berdevam-7606.html [07/07/14]

http://www.ahaber.com.tr/webtv/videoizle/ak-partili-vekillerden-ira-raporu [07/07/14]

http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/gundem/26751060.asp [06/07/14]

http://www.mynet.com/haber/guncel/ak-partili-vekillerden-cozum-sureci-icin-ira-raporu-1336260-1 [06/07/14]

http://m.sabah.com.tr/Gundem/2014/07/06/kalici-baris-icin-5-onemli-adim [06/07/14]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wODPJjceAQw&feature=youtu.be [03/07/14]

http://haber.stargazete.com/yazar/kolay-gunler-zor-gunler/yazi-892989 [08/06/14]

http://osmanoren.com.tr/osman-oren-karsilastirmali-calisma-gezisi-programina-katilmak-uzere-irlandaya-gitti/ [03/06/14]

http://haber.stargazete.com/yazar/cok-gec-olmadan/yazi-889924 [01/06/14]

http://www.mehmettekelioglu.com/2014/05/irlandada-baris-sureci/ [28/05/14]

http://haber.stargazete.com/yazar/cok-gec-olmadan/yazi-889924

http://www.aljazeera.com.tr/gorus/ira-ile-muzakerelerde-britanya-istihbaratinin-rolu [19/04/14]

http://www.ozgurhabergazetesi.com/makale.asp?makaleno=2475 [16/04/14]

http://haber.stargazete.com/yazar/baris-bir-surectir-duragan-bir-proje-degil/yazi-869848#.U0zWPhLLW3Y.twitter [15/04/14]

http://www.radikal.com.tr/yazarlar/cengiz_candar/gecmisle_yuzlesmek_g_afrika_k_irlanda_turkiye-1165754 [12/12/13]

http://haber.stargazete.com/yazar/herkes-secimini-yapsin-ya-sandik-ya-silah/haber-814056 [09/12/13]

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x187d13_kezban-hatemi-balcicek-ilter-ile-soz-sende-programi-09-12-2013_news [09/12/13]

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x187d13_kezban-hatemi-balcicek-ilter-ile-soz-sende-programi-09-12-2013_news [04/12/13]

http://haber.stargazete.com/yazar/baris-sureclerinde-kadinlar-ve-affetmenin-sinirlari/yazi-811565 [01/12/13]

http://birgun.net/haber/kadinlar-cozum-surecinde-daha-fazla-yer-almali-4984.html [06/10/13]

http://haber.stargazete.com/yazar/baris-sureclerinde-kadinlar-ve-affetmenin-sinirlari/yazi-811565 [01/12/13]

http://www.ilkehaberajansi.com.tr/haber/yyu-ile-dpi-arasinda-isbirligi-toplantisi.html [02/10/13]

http://yerel.iha.com.tr/vanda-toplumu-barisa-hazirlamak-icin-kadinlarla-toplanti-yapildi-van-20130928aw000551 [28/09/13]

http://www.haberler.com/van-da-toplumu-barisa-hazirlamak-icin-kadinlarla-5119178-haberi/ [28/09/13]

http://www.memleket.com.tr/dpi39nin-yuvarlak-masa-toplantisi-van39da-yapildi-241386h.htm [28/09/13]

http://www.habervan.info/haber/dpi-nin-yuvarlak-masa-toplantisi-van-da-yapildi-1809315.html [28/09/13]

http://www.ntvmsnbc.com/id/25450817# [24/06/13]

http://hurarsiv.hurriyet.com.tr/goster/ShowNew.aspx?id=23570386 [24/06/13]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jun/24/turkey-protests-peace-process-kurdish-rebels/print [24/06/13]

http://haber.stargazete.com/yazar/afrika-afrika/yazi-757231 [26/05/13]

http://www.radikal.com.tr/radikal2/dersimiz_guney_afrika-1133259 [12/05/13]

http://www.radikal.com.tr/yazarlar/cengiz_candar/kuzey_irlandadan_guney_afrikaya_7-1133113 [12/05/13]

http://www.bestanuce1.com/haberayrinti.php?id=40100 [11/05/13]

http://tv.cnnturk.com/neoluyor [10/05/13]

http://video.cnnturk.com/2013/haber/5/10/guney-afrika-modeli-turkiyeye-uymaz [10/05/13]

http://www.sabah.com.tr/Yazarlar/ovur/2013/05/10/milletvekilleri-guney-afrikada [10/05/13]

http://siyaset.milliyet.com.tr/gokkusagi-ulkesinde-cehennemden/siyaset/detay/1706269/default.htm [10/05/13]

http://www.internethaber.com/ocalana-mandela-modeli-mi-532350h.htm [09/05/13]

http://www.aksam.com.tr/siyaset/chp-ve-bdplilerden-surecin-afrika-modeli/haber-204006 [09/05/13]

http://gundem.milliyet.com.tr/gokkusagi-ulkesinde-catisma/gundem/detay/1705712/default.htm [09/05/13]

http://www.radikal.com.tr/yazarlar/cengiz_candar/kuzey_irlandadan_guney_afrikaya_6-1132767 [09/05/13]

http://www.yenisafak.com.tr/yazarlar/AliBayramoglu/dpi-ingiltere-irlanda-afrika/37587 [08/05/13]

http://gundem.milliyet.com.tr/gokkusagi-ulkesinde-tavizsiz/gundem/detay/1705119/default.htm [8/5/13]

http://www.radikal.com.tr/yazarlar/cengiz_candar/kuzey_irlandadan_guney_afrikaya_5-1132627 [08/05/13]

http://gundem.milliyet.com.tr/gokkusagi-ulkesinde-muzakerenin-/gundem/detay/1704607/default.htm [07/05/13]

http://www.habermonitor.com/en/haber/detay/sample-examined-for-the-peace-process-in-sout/108860/ [07/05/13]

http://www.dunyabulteni.net/?aType=haber&ArticleID=258854 [07/05/13]

http://gundem.milliyet.com.tr/gokkusagi-ulkesinde-mandela-nin/gundem/detay/1704124/default.htm [06/05/13]

http://www.radikal.com.tr/yazarlar/cengiz_candar/kuzey_irlandadan_guney_afrikaya_4-1132338 [06/05/13]

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http://www.yenisafak.com.tr/yazarlar/AliBayramoglu/guney-afrikadan-kurt-meselesine—3-/37532 [04/05/13]

http://www.evrensel.net/news.php?id=55887 [04/05/13]

http://www.radikal.com.tr/yazarlar/cengiz_candar/kuzey_irlandadan_guney_afrikaya_2-1132095 [04/05/13]

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http://www.ilk-kursun.com/haber/144592 [30/04/13]

http://www.aydinlikgazete.com/mansetler/21200-akp-ve-chpli-vekiller-esas-akillere-gidiyor.html [28/04/13]

http://www.radikal.com.tr/yazarlar/jale_ozgenturk/guney_afrikadan_alinacak_cok_ders_var-1130997 [25/04/13]

http://www.posta.com.tr/siyaset/HaberDetay/-Mandela–heyeti-belli-oldu.htm?ArticleID=174034 [24/04/13]

Documentary / Video

Comparative Study Visit: Ireland 2016

Comparative Study Visit: Ireland 2016 from DPI on Vimeo.

DPI’s Comparative Study Visit to Dublin, Dundalk and Belfast on 19-24 March comprised of a four-day activity with daily roundtable meetings focusing on the Irish conflict, peace process, and women’s role in conflict resolution.

Comparative Study Visit: Philippines 2015

Participants visiting the military camp of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front with the Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces for a round table discussion on the Philippines peace process.

Comparative Study Visit: Philippines 2015

Atty. Rasol Mitmug from DPI on Vimeo.

Round table meeting on the role of the autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao in the Philippines Peace Process, with Chief of Staff of the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao, Attorney Rasol Mitmug at ARMM Headquarters, Cotabto

Comparative Study Visit: Philippines 2015

Comparative Study Visit: Philippines 2015 from DPI on Vimeo.

DPI participants meet with Honorable Chairman Mohagher Iqbal of the Bangsamoro Transition Commission (BTC) and Chief Negotiator for the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) at the Bangsamoro Transition Commission Headquarters in Mindanao.

Comparative Study Visit: Ireland 2015

DPI Comparative Study Visit - Ireland 19-23 April 2015 from Fadel Toulba on Vimeo.

This short video shows some of the main highlights of the Comparative Study visit that DPI recently organised in Dublin and Belfast.

Broadening Bases: Promoting peace, democracy and human rights

This film was made in May 2013 during our comparative study visit to South Africa which was part of our Turkey Programme. The film illustrates some of the work that we do.