Migration and Politics Research Center

“Sweden had a female minister of Turkish origin. Can you imagine Turkey having a Russian blonde Orthodox woman in the Turkish Cabinet in 20 years’ time? I really can’t imagine Turkey changing toward this mentality. But perhaps realities on the ground are going to force a change in the mindset,” Professor Ahmet İçduygu fron Istanbul’s Koç University told me.

“When it comes to foreseeing the refugee crisis, I’d give the Turkish government a score of 2 out of 10. But in terms of the humanitarian aspect, I’d give it an 8 or even 9 out of 10,” Murat Erdoğan, the head of the Migration and Politics Research Center at Ankara’s Hacettepe University, told me. He was speaking at a recent panel organized by the European Liberal Forum.