SAKIP SABANCI

The tenth annual Sakıp Sabancı Lecture was held on Thursday, May 1, 2014 in Washington, D.C. with the partnership of Sabancı University and Brookings Institution, featuring former US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, who spoke on “Turkey and the Transformation of the Global Political and Economic Landscape.” Albright had given a lecture on the tenth anniversary of the passing of Sakıp Sabancı, and was the speaker of the inaugural Sakıp Sabancı Lecture in 2005.
The lecture in Washington was screened live in the Sakıp Sabancı Museum in Emirgan, Istanbul by videoconference. Prior to Madeleine Albright’s lecture, Sabancı University Board of Trustees Chair Güler Sabancı gave introductory remarks. Güler Sabancı discussed increasing global challenges, saying that the rise in challenges also led to a rise in opportunities. Sabancı noted that Turkey achieved impressive growth during these challenging times, and that economic growth contributed to internal political stability.
In her lecture titled “Turkey and the Transformation of the Global Political and Economic Landscape,” Albright discussed two strategic issued between the United States and Turkey, namely energy and democracy. Explaining why she chose these two issues, Albright said that energy security was, and will continue to be, important for the role of Turkey in the region, and that the reinforcement of democratic institutions will have ramifications on the domestic and international efforts of Turkey.