Born 1941 in İstanbul/Türkiye

Education: BA, Political Science, Oberlin College (1962), MA Columbia University (1964), Ph.D. Istanbul University (1966)

Current Position: Professor Emeritus of Political Science at Istanbul Bilgi University

Professional Experience: Dr. Turan has served as the President of Istanbul Bilgi University (1998-2001), has been a professor of political science at Istanbul Bilgi University (1998-2013), Koç University (1993-1998) and Istanbul University (1964-1993). He has held visiting appointments at various American and British Universities including UC (Berkeley), U of Iowa, U of Arizona, U of Wisconsin (Madison), U of Kentucky as well as St. Anthony’s and Nuffield colleges at Oxford. His academic work has focused mainly on Turkish politics and foreign policy. His most recent book entitled Turkey’s Difficult Journey to Democracy has been published by the Oxford University Press.

Dr. Turan is the past President of the International Political Science Association (IPSA, 2016-2018) and the past president of the Turkish Political Science Association (2000-2009). He has been a member of the executive committee, vice president (2000-2006) and program chair of IPSA World Congress of Political Science in Santiago, Chile (2006-2009). He has served as the Chair of the Board of Trustees of SEV Foundation (2007-2015), a member of the Board of Directors of the Global Relations Forum (Istanbul, 2016-2021) and continues to serve on several other foundation boards. He is the co-chair of Executive Board of the Bosporus Summit, an annual international event as well as serving on the Board of Directors of Indokordsa and Marmaris Altınyunus Corporations. Previously, he has served on the boards of Temsa Automotive, Çelebi Air Services and Öner Stock Brokerage corporations. He is a columnist for the economics daily Dünya and The TR Monitor, its weekly English language publication. He is a frequent commentator on Turkish politics on TV and in newspapers. 

Publications (selection):

BOOKS (English)

TURKEY’S DIFFICULT JOURNEY TO DEMOCRACY: TWO STEPS FORWARD ONE STEP BACK. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2015.

THE LEGISLATIVE CONNECTION: THE POLITICS OF REPRESENTATION IN KENYA, KOREA AND TURKEY with Joel D. Barkan, C. L. Kim and Malcolm Jewell. Durham: Duke University Press, 1984.

STUDENTS AS A POLITICAL FORCE IN TURKEY: 1853-1962. Unpublished Master’s Essay, Columbia University, 1964.

BOOKS (Turkish)

TBMM’NİN ETKİNLİĞİ (Editor) İstanbul: Türkiye Ekonomik ve Sosyal Etüdler Vakfı, 2000 (The Effectiveness of the Turkish Parliament)

İSTANBUL’DA SİVİL TOPLUM ÖRGÜTLERİ TARİHİ, with Ahmet N. Yücekök and Mehmet Alkan. İstanbul: Tarih Vakfı, 1997 (A History of Associational Life in İstanbul)

FİNANSAL PİYASALARIN DERİNLEŞMESİ ULUSLARARASI SEMPOZYUMU BİLDİRİLERİ (Co-editor with Gül G. Turan) İstanbul: Koç Üniversitesi, 1996. (Proceedings of the International Symposium on the Deepening of Financial Markets)

MEVDUAT TOPLAYAN KURUMLARIN KAMU TARAFINDAN DÜZENLENMESİ ULUSLARASI SEMPOZYUMU BİLDİRİLERİ (Co-editor with Gül G. Turan) İstanbul: Koç Üniversitesi, 1996. (Proceedings of the International Symposium on Public Regulation of Depository Institutions)

Özelleştirme ULUSLARASI SEMPOZYUMU BİLDİRİLERİ (Editor.) İstanbul: Koç Üniversitesi, 1995. (Proceedings of the International Symposium on Privatization)

KIRSAL GELİŞMEDE KÖYLER, KÖY ÖRGÜTLERİ VE DEVLET. İstanbul: İ.Ü. Siyasal Bilgiler Fakültesi, 1988) (Villages, Village Organizations and the State in Rural Development)

SİYASAL DEMOKRASİ, SİYASAL KATILMA, BASKI GRUPLARI VE SENDİKALAR. İstanbul: Türkiye Denizciler Sendikası, 1986. (Political Democracy, Political Participation, Pressure Groups and Labor Unions)

SİYASAL SİSTEM VE SİYASAL DAVRANIŞ. İstanbul: Der Yayınları, 1983. (The Political System and Political Behavior)

NATO İTTİFAKININ STRATEJİK VE POLİTİK SORUNLARI. İstanbul: İ. Ü. İktisat Fakültesi, 1972. (The Strategic and Political Problems of NATO)

CUMHURİYET TARİHİMİZ. İstanbul: Çağlayan, 1969. (A History of the Turkish Republic)

DEMOKRASİ VE PİYASA: DOĞU AVRUPA VE LATİN AMERİKA’DA SİYASAL VE EKONOMİK REFORMLAR (Translation into Turkish of Adam Przeworski’s book Democracy and the Market). Ankara: Türk Demokrasi Vakfı, 1995.