ARI Foundation
Chairwomen: Selvin Akkuş, Researcher and Ph.D Candidate in New York State University
Our Establishment and Our Purpose:
The ARI Foundation, a non-profit non-governmental organization, was established in Washington D.C. in 2001 with the purpose of facilitating informed debates on issues related to Turkey and its surrounding region. The ARI Foundation not only pays close attention to current political, economic, social and cultural developments in Turkey as well as its surrounding region, but also offers a forum in Washington, D.C. to discuss and study these developments. ARI Foundation puts discussions based on true information at the heart of its understanding of the US- Turkey relationship. Since critical thinking and intellectual cooperation are the two indispensable components in reaching fact-based conclusions, ARI Foundation highly values cooperative work with other NGOs and think tanks in D.C.
Though legally completely independent, the ARI Foundation works closely with the ARI Movement in Turkey and the ARI Europe Association in Brussels. The ARI Foundation, ARI Movement, and ARI Europe Association engage in thought stimulating intellectual cooperation in general, and jointly publish the Turkish Policy Quarterly (hereafter TPQ) in particular. TPQ is one of the few Turkish journals published in English. It is a pioneer in Turkish regional studies that reaches out to the world. From each TPQ edition, 50% is distributed within Turkey; to universities, political offices, and other non-governmental organization. The other 50% is disseminated in Europe and in the US to high-level government officials, universities and political actors.
To summarize, the ARI Foundation aims to facilitate a constant exchange of information, ideas, and solutions via visiting experts and organized events. Therefore, maintaining an open communication channel about the American - Turkish relations is one of our significant purposes.

How we achieve our goals:

The ARI Foundation cooperates with other American and Turkish NGOs to organize conferences, symposia, and lectures that stimulate critical thinking and policy debate in Washington, DC. Since 2003, the ARI Capitol Hill Symposia Series featured frontline experts speaking on contemporary events that impact Turkey and its environs. The ARI Foundation publishes, with the ARI Movement the TPQ to provide a diversity of sophisticated perspectives and practical solutions for regional issues. The ARI Foundation also publishes the ARI E-Bulletin, an electronic newsletter.
Select ARI Foundation Capitol Hill Symposia Series:
1. "The South Caucasus: Democracy and Human Rights in Crisis"
Zeyno Baran, Director of International Security and Energy Programs, Nixon Center, and Thomas Goltz, Specialist and Author on the Caucasus.
2. "Turkey: Economic Recovery and E.U. Enlargement"
Kemal Dervis, Former Turkish Minister of Economy.
3. "Cyprus: Toward Reconciliation"
Michael Stephen, Barrister and Former Member of the British Parliament, 1992-1997), Hasan Ünal, Professor of International Relations, Bilkent University.
4. "Caspian Energy: Economic, Political and Environmental Considerations" Justin Friedman, Special Assistant, Office of Caspian Basin Energy Diplomacy, Department of State, and Ceyhun Mollazade, President, US-Azerbaijan Council.
5. "Corruption in Turkey", Book Reading "Yolsuzluklar Çetelesi" Güler Kömürcü, Journalist for Aksam, HaberTürk TV and author.
6. "The Turkish Model in the Intellectual War Against Terrorism" Daniel Pipes, Director, Middle East Forum.
7. "Developments in US-Turkish Relations"
Matt Bryza, Director for the Caucasus, Aegean and Central Asia, National Security Council, and Congressman Robert Wexler, US-Turkey Caucus Co-founder.
8. "Turkey's Emerging Role in the New War Against Terrorism"
Anthony Blinken and Steve Rosen.
ARI Foundation organizes Campus Symposia about the issues relationg to Turkey. Campus Symposia take place in various universities across America.
9. "The Armenian Revolt in WWI’’
Prof. Justin McCarthy, Louisville University, Chicago.
10. "US Foreign Policy in the Middle East, a Regional Perspective: Turkey’’
Günay Evinch, Fulbright Scholar Public International Law; National Director, ARI Foundation; Principal Attorney, Saltzman & Evinch, Johns Hopkins University, Odyssey Program.