NEWS

Within the scope of July 15 Democracy and National Unity Day, Istanbul Nişantaşı University held a panel titled “The Impact of July 15 on Turkish Foreign Policy.”

The program was attended by Rector Prof. Dr. Ayşegül Komsuoğlu Çıtıpıtıoğlu, vice rectors, the secretary general, deans, academic and administrative managers, faculty members, administrative staff, and students.

Director of the Institute of Graduate Studies, Assist. Prof. Dr. Fırat Demirkol, moderated the program. In the program organized on the anniversary of the thwarting of the treacherous July 15 coup attempt by the national will, the effects of the FETO terrorist organization’s coup attempt on Turkey’s domestic and foreign policy were comprehensively discussed from an academic perspective. Delivering the opening speech, Demirkol stated that the July 15 coup attempt was a major turning point for Turkey in domestic and foreign policy. Demirkol expressed that Turkey did not receive the support it expected from the international community after July 15, and that this process reinforced the determination to strengthen domestic and national capacity in the defense industry and reduce foreign dependency. He noted that Turkey has now reached a position whr it can meet its own defense industry needs and ranks among the world’s leading exporting countries.

In her evaluation, Rector Prof. Dr. Ayşegül Komsuoğlu Çıtıpıtıoğlu emphasized that the July 15 coup attempt was an attack on Turkey’s democratic order, constitutional institutions, and the will of the nation. Expressing that the coups and coup attempts experienced throughout the history of the Republic negatively affected Turkey’s democratization process, development, and social peace, Komsuoğlu stated that the night of July 15 was a historic turning point whr the nation resolutely demonstrated its will to protect democracy. She also stated that universities make a significant contribution to strengthening historical awareness and social memory through the programs they organize.

Speaking at the panel, International Relations Department Faculty Member Assoc. Prof. Dr. Akif Bahadır Kaynak stated that in the 10th year of the July 15 coup attempt, Turkey and the world are in a very different geopolitical environment. Noting that Turkey-US relations entered a search for a new balance following the rupture experienced after July 15, Kaynak said that the process of creating a buffer zone in Syria, which began with Operation Euphrates Shield, brought along an obligatory rapprochement between Ankara and Russia. He expressed that the Ukraine War, which is entering its fifth year, and the recent developments in Syria have revealed a new picture that strengthens Turkey’s regional position.

Also touching upon the transformation experienced in Europe’s security architecture, Kaynak stated that, as seen at the NATO Summit held in Ankara, Europe is in search of a structure that is more autonomous and strengthens its own security capacity, and that al these developments bring about a new international balance.

At the event, it was emphasized that discussing the historical, political, and international dimensions of July 15 from an academic perspective is important in terms of strengthening democratic values and keeping social memory alive.