Institute of Turkish Studies announces closure

The Institute of Turkish Studies (ITS) in the District of Columbia, the only non-profit, private educational foundation in the United States dedicated to the support and development of Turkish Studies in US higher education, has announced it is closing and ceasing operations as of 30 September 2020, reports Ahval.

The board of directors cited lack of success in efforts to develop a sustainable financial future of the institute following the 2015 termination of the Turkish government-initiated trust that supported ITS grant-giving and other activities as the reason for the decision.

“The decision to shut down was taken by the board of ITS because the money is running out,” Steven A Cook, the Eni Enrico Mattei senior fellow for Middle East and Africa studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, told Ahval, noting that the decision was not made by Georgetown University, which hosts the institution. “For many years, ITS was funded by the interest on a bond in a Turkish bank. The Turkish government decided to end that relationship. Since that time, the board has struggled mightily to raise funds and keep the institute afloat. There were some generous donors out there, but it was not enough,” he added.
Full report on the Ahval site