In September 2004, I made an initial visit to Istanbul with the objective of evaluating Turkey as a third country for the Foundation. With the help of Tony Huffman and Mehves Pisak, meetings were arranged.  In October of that year, the Foundation Board voted unanimously to authorize scholarships in Turkey.

Istanbul is a fascinating city. It blends Middle Eastern and European cultures in an appealing way. Ellen and I view Turkey as a very important country for a number of reasons, including the fact that it is a successful, secular democracy with a high percentage of Muslim citizens.

At the same time, they face a number of serious problems.  Poverty and institutional instability need to be solved.  We hope that the Gallagher scholars will help find such solutions during the coming decades.

The initial interviews took place in August of 2005. The first year seven scholars were selected. In each of the past two years five additional scholars have been selectedat Bogazici University. Today there are 19 scholars and 3 graduates.

In 2008 Elvan Zihnioglu has assumed responsibility as the Turkish director of Administration for our program in Turkey. She has already proven to be very helpful.

Bogazici University