Center for Strategic Research (CSR)

The Center for Strategic Research (SAM) is a think tank and research institution established by law under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Türkiye in 1994 and began operations in May 1995. SAM was founded to provide scientific and intellectual advice on Turkish foreign policy and aims to offer analysis perspectives and policy recommendations to those involved in decision-making processes. It also functions as an open platform for discussion on local and global policy issues and has become a hub that brings together academics and policymakers.

^Logo

Following its establishment, SAM focused on defining its areas of work and building its capacity. During this period, numerous internal meetings and closed workshops were held, and SAM staff participated in domestic and international conferences to learn from the experiences of peer institutions. Thirteen public and nineteen private academic events were organized, aiming to explore Türkiye’s position in global politics, regional relations, and emerging policy domains. Regional studies focusing particularly on the Mediterranean, Europe and the Middle East attracted significant attention. In terms of diplomatic engagement, twenty-two closed meetings were held with peer institutions, ten joint meetings were organized, and participation was secured in twenty-eight external events. In 2002, the first memorandum of understanding was signed with the Institute for Political and International Studies (IPIS) in Iran, and four foreign delegations were hosted.

During this period, SAM diversified its activities and strengthened international cooperation. Twenty-seven memoranda of understanding were signed, fifty-seven foreign visits were conducted, and fifty-two foreign delegations were hosted. Twenty-four public and twenty private events were organized, thirty-seven high-level meetings were held, and participation was secured in thirty-five external events. In addition to academic meetings, work was carried out under the framework of second-track diplomacy on security and conflict resolution issues with countries such as Italy. Collaboration with Turkish think tanks also gained prominence during this time.

In this period, SAM expanded its international network and intensified its activities. Twenty-seven memoranda of understanding were signed, seventy-four foreign visits were conducted, and fifty-three foreign delegations were hosted. Forty-six public and sixty-six private events were organized; thirty-six domestic visits were carried out, and participation was secured in sixty-four external events. Meetings focused on key issues such as the Arab Spring and Türkiye-EU relations. SAM Lectures, panels and seminars were used to inform the public and enhance the visibility of the Ministry.

During this period, SAM recorded a significant increase in the number of activities and enhanced its public visibility by diversifying its social media presence. Six new memoranda of understanding were signed, bringing the total number of agreements to sixty-one, with ongoing discussions with Iraq, Azerbaijan, Portugal and the El-Sharq Forum. Fifty foreign visits were conducted and fifty-three foreign delegations were hosted. Thirty-two public and twenty-six private events were organized, addressing topics such as earthquake response workshops, mediation, the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) and Libya. Student activities also increased, with student groups from 136 universities visiting SAM and 775 students benefiting from internship programs.

SAM contributes to Turkish foreign policy and international relations through an extensive publication network. Its main publications include:

A peer-reviewed academic journal published biannually in English since 1996. It covers topics such as Turkish foreign policy, international relations, energy security, maritime jurisdictions, Cyprus and Türkiye-Israel relations. Twenty-seven issues were published between 1996 and 2002, twenty-five between 2003 and 2010, nineteen between 2011 and 2017, and eleven between 2018 and 2023. The journal is open access on the Dergipark platform and adheres to high publication ethics standards. Authors must comply with rules on originality, prohibition of plagiarism and ethics committee approval; editors and reviewers are bound by principles of objectivity and confidentiality.

This publication, which addresses current issues, began irregularly in the 2000s and was institutionalized in 2012. It focuses on topics such as Turkish foreign policy, the Aegean islands and the history of war. Eleven issues were published between 2011 and 2017 and ten between 2018 and 2023. It has been published in Turkish, English and Spanish.

This publication features writings by the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

The books “The Global System After COVID-19: Old Problems, New Trends” and “The World After COVID-19: Cooperation or Competition?” (2020) analyze the impact of the pandemic on the international system. The e-book titled “Anatolian Traces in Contemporary Civilization” examines the influence of Anatolia on European culture. Between 2018 and 2023, four books, one e-book and four internal reports were produced.

^Publications (SAM)

SAM has strengthened cooperation with regional and global think tanks. Intensive relations have been established with Western countries (USA, EU), Asian, Middle Eastern and Gulf states, and memoranda of understanding have been signed with sixty-one peer institutions. Closed workshops, roundtable meetings and SAM Dialogues have been organized to generate knowledge and develop policy recommendations. Collaboration with Turkish think tanks is also a key component of its activities.

^{International Collaboration Partners} (SAM)

SAM has been led by various chairpersons since its founding. The current chairperson is Dr. Polat Safi (as of 2024). Former chairpersons include:

• Osman Erhan Yiğitbaşıoğlu (1995–1998)
• Ali Arsin (Acting, 1998)
• Ali Ünal Maraşlı (1998–2001)
• Murat Bilhan (2001–2006)
• Ahmet Ferit Ülker (2006–2008)
• Bülent Aras (2010–2013)
• Ali Resul Usul (2014–2016)
• Mesut Özcan (2016–2017)
• Ufuk Ulutaş (2018–2023)
• Hasan Ulusoy (2023)
• Nuh Yılmaz (2023–2024)

SAM also draws attention through its activities targeting university students. Between 2018 and 2023, student groups from 136 universities visited SAM, and internship programs, institutionalized in 2018, reached 775 students. In 2023, 224 students undertook internships.