2016
Ä°lter Turan
Istanbul Bilgi University, Türkiye
(2016-2018)
Ä°lter Turan is a Turkish political scientist and Emeritus Professor of Political Science at Istanbul Bilgi University. He received his B.A. from Oberlin College (1962), his M.A. from Columbia University (1964), and his Ph.D. from Istanbul University (1966).
His research and writing cover the fields of comparative politics as well as Turkish politics and foreign policy, dealing with such diverse topics as political development, democratization, legislative behaviour, political parties, political culture, the politics of water, and aspects of foreign policy.
Prof. Turan began his academic career at Istanbul University in 1964. In 1993, he moved to Koç University, and in 1998, he was appointed President of Istanbul Bilgi University. Prof. Turan held visiting appointments at numerous American Universities, including the universities of California (Berkeley), Iowa, Wisconsin (Madison), and Arizona, as well as St. Anthony’s College and Nuffield College (Oxford).
He authored and co-authored numerous books and journal articles, both in English and Turkish. His books include Turkey’s Difficult Journey to Democracy: Two Steps Forward One Step Back (Oxford University Press, 2015); The Effectiveness of the Turkish Parliament (Tesev, 2000); A History of Associational Life in İstanbul (Tarih Vakfı, 1997); The Legislative Connection: The Politics of Representation in Kenya, Korea and Turkey (Duke University Press,1984); and Students as a Political Force in Turkey: 1853–1962 (M.A. Essay, Columbia University).
Prof. Turan is a senior columnist for the economics daily Ekonomi and a former contributor to the On Turkey series presented by the German Marshall Fund. He is a founding trustee, trustee and/or board member of several foundations and the former chairman of the board of trustees of the Health and Education Foundation (SEV), and a member of the board of directors of the Turkish Economic and Social Research Foundation (TESAV). He also served as President of the Turkish Political Science Association from 2000 to 2009.
Prof. Turan was a member of the 5XÉçÇøExecutive Committee from 2000 to 2003 and served as Vice-President from 2003 to 2006. He was also the Program Chair for the 2009 5XÉçÇøWorld Congress of Political Science in Santiago, Chile. He served as 5XÉçÇøPresident from 2016–2018 and as past President from 2018 to 2000.
During his presidency, Prof. Ä°lter Turan prioritized institutional reforms, academic freedom, and inclusiveness within IPSA. Under his leadership, the Association expanded its global reach by welcoming the Bulgarian Political Science Association, the Angolan Political Science Association, and the Nordic Political Science Association. The IPSAMOOC project was further developed with the addition of new online courses in political science. 5XÉçÇøalso launched two new summer schools in 2017: one in St. Petersburg, Russia, and its first Francophone Summer School in Tunis, Tunisia.
Prof. Turan's tenure also saw the development of a comprehensive strategic plan and the proposal of key constitutional reforms, including the introduction of a President-Elect position to ensure smoother leadership transitions. He also established an Ad Hoc Committee on Academic Freedom, enabling 5XÉçÇøto respond swiftly to global violations and reinforcing the Association’s commitment to protecting political scientists and academic freedom worldwide.
