1. Who are you?

 

We are volunteers consisting of students, professionals, intellectuals and others from various backgrounds and with diverse experiences. We strive to benefit the public discourse in Turkey by engaging people around the world in discussions about the social, political and economic issues in Turkey.

 

2. How did the idea of organizing this conference come about?

 

Gezi protests raised a number of new questions concerning the social, political and economic dynamics of Turkey. We felt the need for an open discussion to address these questions. To this end, we invited interested individuals to come forward with panel proposals and agreed to organize these efforts as one conference.

 

3. Is Gezi Platform NYC organizing this conference?

 

No. Even though the organizers of this conference attend the Gezi Platform NYC meetings, this event is independent of the platform and there is no institutional link or affiliation between the Talk Turkey: Rethinking Life since Gezi conference and Gezi Platform NYC.

 

4. Who is funding the conference?

 

All funding for this conference is provided by various divisions and departments of The New School as well as University Student Senate of the The New School

 

5. Are you related to the previously organized “Sledgehammer: Other perspectives”      conference that has a website called “Talk Turkey”?  (Talk Turkey)

 

No we are not related. “Talk Turkey” has a double connotation. It not only refers to conversations about Turkey, but is also a common expression in English understood as talking frankly; hence its popularity as a catchy conference title. The choice of the name “Talk Turkey” is a mere coincidence.