Kenan Evren Chair in Turkish Studies

[Sabri Oncu <soncu@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Friends,

I became aware of this through a column by Aydin Engin in today's
Turkish daily Cumhuriyet newspaper. For those of you who don't
know who Kenan Evren is, he is our Augusto Pinochet. He was the
leader of September 12, 1980 military coup in Turkey and ruled
the country with four of his generals with unremitting savagery.
He was the "elected" President (what an election it was!) of the
country from 1983 to 1989. As Aydin Engin mentions in his column,
there is no difference between Kenan Evren Eminent Scholar Chair
in Turkish Studies and Augusto Pinochet Eminent Scholar Chair in
Chilean Studies or Leopoldo Galtieri Eminent Scholar Chair in
Arginetine Studies.

In disgust,
Sabri

+++++++


FAU unveils Turkish studies program
By Kellie Patrick Sun-Sentinel Staff writer
March 27, 2002

BOCA RATON -- Florida Atlantic University on Tuesday unveiled a
new international business program aiming to strengthen economic,
cultural and political ties between Turkey and the United States.

Kenan Evren, former president of Turkey and the program's
namesake, Gen. Alexander Haig, former U.S. Secretary of State,
and other dignitaries joined FAU President Anthony Catanese in
announcing the Kenan Evren Eminent Scholar Chair in Turkish
Studies.

Through a $1 million endowment, FAU will sponsor economic
research and hold conferences for those interested in economic
relations between Turkey and the United States, and particularly
relations with Florida. But it was clear that those who spoke
want to strengthen more than business ties between the countries.

"This is a nation that is playing an increasingly important role
on the world stage, as demonstrated most recently by Vice
President Cheney's pledge of $228 million to enable Turkey to
assume command of the international peacekeeping force in
Afghanistan," said Catanese.

Haig said a lack of knowledge about Turkey has resulted in bad
U.S. decisions regarding the country, such as a 1970s embargo.

The U.S. relationship with Turkey has never been as important as
it is now, Haig said. "It is the anchor of stability in Central
Asia and the Middle East, in a world of confusion," he said.

Speaking through a translator, Evren joked that his nation's
strategic geography comes with a price.

"I sometimes feel jealous of countries like the U.S. and Great
Britain that have two neighbors," he said. "When you have two
neighbors, you have two problems. When you have eight neighbors,
you have eight problems."

Evren soon became serious.

"I don't want to name any names right now, but we have neighbors
who would love to export their religious beliefs," Evren said.

Turkey's citizens are mostly Muslims, but the democratic
government is secular.

Evren stressed differences between the religious beliefs of the
majority of Turkey's citizens and the followers of Osama bin
Laden.

Evren's hopes Turkish students who study at FAU will "show that
we are not like those fundamentalists."

Suheyla Gencsoy, president of Fort Lauderdale's Turkish American
Business, Education and Cultural Development Committee, said bin
Laden and others like him try to influence poor Turkish young
people by paying for an education that stresses extremist
beliefs.

That is why her organization hopes to establish a scholarship
program to send poor Turkish students to FAU.

If more Americans learn about Turkey, she said she will consider
the new FAU program a success.

The Kenan Evren Eminent Scholar Chair was established with
$600,000 in private donations and an anticipated $400,000 state
grant. Evren, president of Turkey from 1983 to 1989, is credited
with strengthening political and economic ties between Turkey and
the United States.

Kellie Patrick can be reached at kpatrick@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx or
561-243-6629.

Full article at:
http://www.tcpalm.com/tcp/palm_beach_news/article/0,1651,TCP_1020
_1053155,00.html