13/01/2026
Istanbul Policy Center (IPC) is now accepting paper proposals for the one-day workshop “Ideas and Intellectuals: Alternative Histories of Turkish Foreign Policy,” to be held on June 2, 2026, from 9:00 to 17:00 at IPC Karaköy.
The workshop aims to bring together scholars working on Turkish foreign policy to explore the role of ideas and intellectuals in shaping policy debates, decision-making processes, and diplomatic practices. By foregrounding intellectual history and ideational currents, the event seeks to develop alternative narratives that move beyond conventional state-centric and event-based accounts that have long dominated the field.
Open to both junior and senior scholars, the call invites submissions that bridge intellectual history and foreign policy, including empirical studies of intellectual works, research on intellectual practitioners within the diplomatic corps, and analyses of ideational frameworks across different historical periods. In order to ensure a comprehensive discussion, selected papers will reflect a balance of perspectives covering various eras of the Republican period.
Suggested topics include, but are not limited to, case studies of intellectuals as foreign policy entrepreneurs, examinations of the ideational foundations of Turkish foreign policy, comparative analyses of intellectual frameworks, research on think tanks and intellectual circles, and methodological approaches to studying ideas in foreign policy with the aim of constructing alternative histories.
The workshop is envisioned as the first step toward a joint academic publication, such as a special journal issue or an edited volume. To foster in-depth dialogue, all accepted papers will be circulated among participants prior to the event, and each paper will be discussed by an assigned discussant.
Abstracts of 300–350 words, along with a short biography (50–100 words), should be submitted to the convenors Assoc. Prof. Hazal Papuççular and Prof. Alper Kaliber via ipc@sabanciuniv.edu, with the workshop title included in the subject line.
Key Dates
- Abstract Submission Deadline: February 20, 2026
- Notification of Acceptance: March 1, 2026
- Full Draft Submission: May 15, 2026
- Workshop Date: June 2, 2026
The workshop will take place at Istanbul Policy Center, Karaköy, and aims to create a collaborative space for rethinking the intellectual foundations of Turkish foreign policy.
