ORSAM-KALMEC Roundtable Meeting

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A roundtable meeting on ‘The Impacts of Syrian Crisis on the Neighboring Countries’ was held on 3 April 2015 between the Center for Middle Eastern Strategic Studies (ORSAM) and Hasan Kalyoncu University (HKU) Kalyoncu Middle East Research Center (KALMEC). The meeting, at which the possibilities of cooperation between the two institutions and the impact of the last developments in Syria on Turkey were discussed, was realized during the visit of ORSAM to KALMEC within the scope of its field work conducted in Gaziantep. The meeting was attended by the Faculty Members of HKU, delegation of ORSAM and representatives of Bülbülzade Foundation, Woman and Democracy Association (KADEM), and the Association of the General Center for Middle Eastern Social Project Research (OSPAM) operating in Gaziantep.
 
The meeting was started with the opening speeches by the Vice-rector of HKU Prof. Dr. M. Hanifi Aslan and ORSAM President Assoc. Prof. Şaban Kardaş. Following the speech of the Head of the Political Science and International Relations Department of HKU Assoc. Prof. Serdar Erdurmaz acting as the moderator of the meeting, KALMEC President Assist. Prof. Bilal Çıplak gave a presentation providing information about the objectives and the activities of the institution. Following the presentation of ORSAM given by Kardaş, the possibilities of cooperation between the two institutions were discussed. Then in a format of open debates all participants discussed such topics as seeking solutions for Syrian crisis, Turkish policies on the Middle East, demographic changes in Gaziantep and their outcomes, internal disorder in Syria and its reflections in the region. The problem of Syrian refugees, in particular, was covered in a detailed way in the meeting. The impacts of Syrians on Turkey and recommendations for solutions aimed to resolve the related problems were discussed. The meeting resulted in a consensus that the issue of Syrian refugees is rather a topic that can provide a contribution to the economic, social and political life of Turkey than a problem; and that the refugee policy should be shaped accordingly in the later periods. The meeting was ended with discussion of recommendations for future cooperation between think-tanks, universities and civil society organizations.