Turkish and Norwegian Scholars on the Arab Spring

On 23 and 24 May 2013 directors of GPoT Center, Mensur Akgün and Sylvia Tiryaki, participated in sessions at a Norwegian Institute of International Affairs’ (NUPI) conference entitled “Turkish and Norwegian Scholars on the Arab Spring”.

Mensur Akgün along with Jan Egeland, director of Human Rights Watch Europe, partook in a session focused on Syria and the Arab Spring. In another session, Sylvia Tiryaki discussed the lessons that can be drawn from mediations in Cyprus, the Balkans and the Oslo Process with former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Norway, Thorvald Stoltenberg. 

The rest of the conference addressed topics such as Turkey’s ability to function as an example for states in the region and other aspects of its foreign policy. An important part of the conference’s agenda was to contribute to an enhanced cooperation between Norway and Turkey, and to increase contact across the borders.