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| MERIC Review | |
|---|---|
| Name | MERIC Review |
| Type | Review publication |
| Established | 21st century |
| Publisher | MERIC |
| Country | Turkey |
| Language | English, Turkish |
MERIC Review
The MERIC Review is a periodic analytical publication produced by the Middle East Research and Information Center (MERIC) that synthesizes research on contemporary Turkish politics, regional diplomacy, security affairs, and socio-cultural trends. It presents policy-oriented analysis, historical situating, and curated primary-source material aimed at scholars, policymakers, journalists, and civil society actors. Contributions draw on archival material, field reporting, think-tank networks, and academic scholarship to situate developments in Turkey alongside regional dynamics in the Middle East and Europe.
MERIC established the Review to bridge scholarly analysis and policy discourse after shifts in Turkish foreign policy and domestic reform debates. The Review situates issues alongside events such as the Istanbul Summit-era diplomatic realignments, post-2000s energy politics involving the Baku–Tbilisi–Ceyhan pipeline, and legal debates following the European Court of Human Rights jurisprudence affecting Turkish cases. Its stated purposes include providing rigorous analysis for audiences in Ankara, Brussels, Washington, and Geneva, and contributing documentation useful to institutions like the United Nations offices, the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, and the European Parliament committees that monitor human rights and migration.
The Review employs mixed-method approaches combining qualitative and quantitative techniques drawn from area studies and comparative politics. Contributors use archival research referencing collections from the Ottoman Archives and diplomatic correspondence related to the Treaty of Lausanne, complemented by field interviews with actors linked to the Turkish Grand National Assembly and municipal officials from İstanbul Metropolitan Municipality and Ankara Metropolitan Municipality. Data sections incorporate statistics from the Turkish Statistical Institute alongside polling datasets from institutions like the Pew Research Center and the European Commission's Eurobarometer. The Review also integrates legal analysis grounded in texts from the Constitutional Court of Turkey and legislative records from the Grand National Assembly of Turkey.
Recurring themes in the Review include state-society relations as refracted through debates in the Justice and Development Party period, security posture in proximity to the Syrian Civil War, and economic governance amid linkages to the International Monetary Fund and trade relations with the European Union. Analyses highlight transformations in civil-military relations referencing episodes like the Ergenekon trials and interactions with institutions such as the Supreme Military Council. Other findings address migration flows from crises connected to the Syrian Refugee Crisis and the Review situates these movements relative to agreements with the European Council and border arrangements involving Greece and the Balkans. Studies on media freedom reference cases brought before the European Court of Human Rights and cite comparative work on press laws in countries like France, Germany, and Italy.
Policymakers in capitals including Ankara, Brussels, Washington, D.C., and London have cited Review analyses in briefings to bodies such as the European Commission and the U.S. Department of State. Non-governmental organizations like Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have drawn on Review documentation for reports on legal processes and detention practices. Academic curricula at institutions including the London School of Economics, Harvard University, and Boğaziçi University have used Review case studies. Think tanks such as the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and the Chatham House have hosted panels where Review authors presented findings that informed parliamentary hearings in venues like the House of Commons and the Bundestag.
Critics have contested the Review's editorial independence, pointing to sponsorship links and perceived rhetorical alignment with political stances associated with parties represented in the Grand National Assembly of Turkey. Opponents have compared its framing to analyses by institutions like the International Crisis Group and the Atlantic Council, arguing about selection bias in case studies. Legal scholars citing the European Court of Human Rights have challenged some of the Review’s jurisprudential interpretations. Media organizations including BBC News, Reuters, and Al Jazeera have run critical accounts examining whether the Review sufficiently differentiates between advocacy and academic analysis.
Following publication cycles, the Review issues policy briefs and convenes workshops with stakeholders from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Turkey), the Council of Europe, and municipal governance networks from cities such as İzmir and Mersin. Follow-up activities include collaborative research grants with universities including Koç University and Middle East Technical University, and internship placements facilitated with institutions like the Open Society Foundations and regional NGOs. The Review’s iterative model encourages replication of studies by research centers such as the Cato Institute and regional observatories, fostering cross-referencing in subsequent policy memoranda prepared for bodies like the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the World Bank.
Category:Publications about Turkey