Did Columbia University Cancel Turkey Panel Due to Pressure from Erdoğan?

Seemingly after the corrupt, authoritarian Turkish government complained, Columbia University dutifully canceled a panel on the collapse of the rule of law in Turkey.

Would-be panelist Steven Cook of the Council on Foreign Relations told Inside Higher Education: “‘The only conclusion that anybody can really draw is that Columbia came under significant pressure from the Turkish government. As someone who works on Turkey, I’m not surprised that the Turkish government tried to bring this pressure to bear. What I am surprised is that Columbia said, “OK.”’" Conclusion: Columbia takes its marching orders from Erdoğan.

Columbia has a Global Studies Center in Istanbul and received $10m in 2016 from the estate of Turkish tycoon Sakıp Sabancı.

Twitter
Telegram
LinkedIn
Email
Copy
Link copied
Print

Columbia University

Winfield Myers

Winfield Myers is managing editor of the Middle East Forum and director of its Campus Watch project, which reviews and critiques Middle East studies in North American universities. He has taught world history and other topics at the University of Michigan, the University of Georgia, Tulane, and Xavier University of Louisiana. He was previously managing editor of The American Enterprise magazine and CEO of Democracy Project, Inc., which he co-founded. Mr. Myers has served as senior editor and communications director at the Intercollegiate Studies Institute and is principal author and editor of a college guide, Choosing the Right College (1998, 2001). He was educated at the University of Georgia, Tulane, and the University of Michigan.