September 23, 2011
Comparative Perspective on
Constitutionalism in Turkey, U.S. Featured in Staten
Island
St. John’s annual
commemoration of Constitution Day on September 15
took on a new perspective this year in Staten Island with the
University hosting a unique symposium. Constitutionalism in Turkey
and the United States was the topic of discussion at the
University’s Staten Island campus. Observations of Constitution Day
were also held in Queens (see link below to various events held by
the University community).
The
Turkish Cultural Center of New York along with St.
John’s organized the event before a crowd of VIP guests, students,
administrators and staff totaling close to 100 people. The
following panelists were in attendance:
- Zafer
A. Akin, Esq., President, Turkish Cultural
Center of New York
- Dr. Azzedine Layachi, Professor,
Government and Politics, St. John’s University
- Dr. Murat
Somer, Associate Professor, International
Relations, Koc
University/Istanbul
- Dr. William Byrne, Associate
Professor,
Government and Politics, St. John’s University
- Dr. Joshua Walker,
Transatlantic Fellow, German Marshall Fund, Washington,
D.C.
- Dr. Christopher Cuccia,
Academic Assistant Vice President, St. John’s University,
Staten Island
campus
Photo Gallery
“A key to St. John’s University’s mission is scholarship and
service. This symposium is an outstanding example of our commitment
to engage and inform both the local and global community,” said Dr.
Cuccia.
Click
here for information on the Constitution Day event in
Queens
A question and
answer session followed after the two-hour symposium. Highlights
included three 20 minute lectures on Constitutionalism between
Turkey and the United States from Dr. Somer, Dr.
Byrne and Dr. Walker. Master of
Ceremonies for the panel discussion was handled by Dr.
Layachi, on behalf of St. John’s.
“Despite all the
things that are happening in Turkey today, problems and issues
between the U.S. and Turkey and Israel and Turkey, we tend to focus
on the short term and lose sight of the long term goal that Turkey
has of having a truly liberal society – in which liberal doesn’t
have to be a dirty word,” said Dr. Walker. “One of the interesting
things to talk about between the U.S. and Turkey is their unspoken
political cultures and the differences between the two.”
“Turkey has
remained an electoral democracy but has not been able to
consolidate what we would call a liberal democracy. The rights,
freedoms and protections of individuals and minorities to be
different from the majority have not been fully secured (e.g.
restrictions on freedom of expression, problems in the
representation of Muslim and non-Muslim religious minorities and
women’s participation in public life),” said Dr. Somer. “These
issues have always been deficits in Turkish society and although
there have been important advancements in recent years, many
deficits continue to exist and there have been some deterioration
in some areas. I hope to see the day when these policies will
change for the betterment of our society.”
Dr. Byrne closed
with a historic U.S. perspective on establishing principles in the
early formation of its constitution.“For a constitution to work it
really has to be somewhat internalized with its people. The
American framers followed the British model and the separation of
powers theories, and made the executive power distinct from the
legislative one….further increasing boundaries among the major
components of government,” continued Dr. Byrne. “This gave America
a leg up, and constitutes a framework that other countries (like
Turkey) could benefit from.”
For more
information on the Constitution Day activities please
contact Dominic Scianna, Assistant Vice
President for Media Relations by calling 718.990.6185 or
e-mail inquiries to sciannad@stjohns.edu.
Information
regarding late breaking news about St. John’s can be found by
visiting the University web site at www.stjohns.edu/news.